Automated polls to produce electronic 'Garci,' Jamby says

Independent presidential aspirant Senator Maria Ana Consuelo “Jamby" Madrigal said Thursday that she is against automated polls because it will supposedly pave the way for an electronic version of the "Hello Garci" controversy. “I voted against the automation because this will become an electronic “Garci,"" Madrigal said, referring to the nickname of Virgilio Garcillano, a former election commissioner who allegedly helped President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo reportedly cheat in the 2004 polls. “I have nothing against automation but I have a lot against our present Commission on Elections (Comelec)," said Madrigal after visiting the National Printing Office (NPO) in Quezon City. In 2004, a tape of a supposed conversation between then presidential candidate Arroyo and Garcillano about rigging the May 2004 presidential elections surfaced. The recorded conversation is popularly known as the “Hello, Garci" controversy. Until the Comelec is revamped, the public will not be assured of fully-credible elections, Madrigal said. "Itong Comelec natin ay Comelec ni GMA (This Comelec is Mrs. Arroyo's Comelec)," she said. The senator added that she is afraid that Mrs. Arroyo will use her power over the poll body to tip the odds in favor of Senator Manuel Villar. "Natatakot din kami sa Villaroyo... makikita mong suswerte si Villar na yung kanyang pangalan ay mag-isa dun sa balota (We are afraid of Villaroyo... you'll notice that Villar is the only name on the last column of ballot for presidential candidates)," she said. The senator added that she is not satisfied with the preparations that the poll body has been taking for the May polls. She said that it was suspicious how the NPO employees left their stations when her party came into the facility. "Pinapaalis sila at naglunch break na daw. Hindi namin makita na paano talaga vinerify yung ballot. Bakit pinaalis sila? Ano ang panloloko na ba ito sa una lang? (They were told to take their lunch break. We didn't even get to see how they verify their ballots. Why were they told to leave? Are they trying to dupe us?)," he said. The senator is the only presidential candidate to respond to the Comelec's invitation to visit the NPO, though she no longer joined the trip to Smartmatic's warehouse in Cabuyao, Laguna. On the other hand, Jay Sonza of the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan is the only vice presidential bet to come to the event. Other candidates and political parties only sent representatives. Ridiculous In the meantime, Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal, who heads the steering committee on automation, said that Madrigal's suggestion to revamp the poll body was ridiculous. "We all have fixed terms, if we all resign, there will be no elections," he told GMANews.TV in an interview. He also said that the senator's assumption — that the NPO employees took a break and left the facility as part of some scheme — is untrue. "That is the lunch break of the employees, they need to eat," he said. The NPO tour began at 11:30 a.m. because Madrigal arrived late. In addition, the commissioner said that members of the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on Automated Elections, who earlier visited the NPO and Smartmatic's warehouse, were satisfied with what they saw. "They are politicians who ran in previous elections and understand the political process and they are satisfied with the safety measures instituted in the printing, packaging, and planning of the shipment of the ballots," he said. Other parties However, Liberal Party representative Atty. Avelino Cruz, Jr. still expressed apprehension about the preparations for the elections. "My assessment is that a lot of safeguards have to be placed for this elections," he told reporters during the visit to Cabuyao. He likewise asked the Comelec to conduct a parallel manual audit of at least three precincts per municipality before the proclamation of winners. "Kung hindi papayagan ng Comelec yun, eh ako personally naniniwala ako na magkakaroon ng maraming dayaan (If the Comelec will not allow that. I personally believe that there will be widespread cheating)," he said. But Larrazabal said that the law does not state when the poll body will conduct the audit, though he said that the Comelec en banc is discussing the matter. He added that the law requires an audit of only one precinct per congressional district. On the other hand, representatives from Lakas-Kampi-CMD and Ang Kapatiran were reassured by Comelec's efforts. "We have so far seen not much to be concerned about," Ang Kapatiran Chairman Manolo Dayrit told reporters in Cabuyao. "I think that they have installed enough security features, enough safeguards to ensure a clean elections, at least on the management and operational aspects," Lakas-Kampi-CMD Secretary-General Francis Mangalapus added. - RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV