Noynoy to Comelec: Are we in for manual counting?

DAVAO CITY — In the wake of the latest hitches in the systems for the nationwide automated polls this May, will the Commission on Elections finally revert to manual counting? Liberal Party standard bearer Sen. Benigno Simeon “Noynoy" Aquino III hurled this question at the Comelec after telecommunications companies proposed to withdraw their offer to transmit poll results. "The thrust of the automated polls is to let people know the results soonest. Now the telecommunications firms are backing out. So do we go back to manual counting? Comelec will have to clear the air. I hope the Comelec is not remiss in its job," Aquino told reporters at a chance interview here. Globe Telecoms and Philippine Long Distance and Telephone Company (PLDT), fearing physical or technical attacks, sought on Tuesday to withdraw their offers to host the main and backup data centers for the May 10 elections. Instead, both Globe and PLDT proposed alternative sites to host the servers of the Commission on Elections (Comelec). The latest hitch was raised at the resumption of the meeting of the Joint Oversight Committee on the Automated Election System. Last Tuesday, Comelec Chairman Jose Melo expressed concerns that automated elections might be “disturbed" if the government fails to find a data center that will house servers used for tabulating poll results from voting machines. [See: Data center lack may 'disturb' automated polls] http://www.gmanews.tv/story/184040/data-center-lack-may-39disturb39-automated-polls The Comelec’s main data center – which will host the servers – was supposed to be located at the MK2 data center owned by Globe Telecommunications, Inc. The Makati City facility is expected to provide office space and communications support to servers of Smartmatic-Total Information Management (TIM), the company that is also supplying automated poll machines. However, Globe later disallowed Smartmatic from using its facility even after the installation of servers at MK2, which the telecommunications firm said was “not as secure as we want it to be." To allay Globe’s concerns, Melo promised that the government will provide security it needs, adding that the poll body offered to give the firm “a battalion of soldiers" and even “air cover 24 hours a day." Brownouts For his part, Aquino's running mate Sen. Manuel "Mar" Roxas II voiced concern over the brownouts that threaten the country in the wake of the El Niño phenomenon. Roxas said energy officials should not only tackle the power problem in the May 10 elections but in the long run. "Mahalaga ito dahil di lang election kundi ang pangangalakal, turismo at pangaraw-araw na buhay. Isa itong hudyat dapat magkaroon ng malawak at permanenteng solusyon sa problemang ito (This concerns not only the elections but also tourism, business and everyday life. This calls for a permanent and wide solution)," he said. - LBG, GMANews.TV