NBOC begins grilling Comelec, Smartmatic officials

The National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) on Wednesday afternoon began grilling officials of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and poll automation systems provider Smartmatic-TM on reported irregularities during the conduct of the May 10 elections. Leading the proceedings which started at 2:44 p.m. were Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and House Speaker Prospero Nograles, chairmen of the 18-member joint congressional canvassing panel. Among those present on the floor were Comelec chairman Jose Armando Melo, Commissioners Rene Sarmiento, Gregorio Larrazabal, Elias Yusoph, Lucenito Tagle, Armando Velasco, and executive director Jose Tolentino. Also there to answer queries were Cesar Flores, Smartmatic Asia Pacific president, and some information technology experts. In opening the second day of the joint canvassing, Enrile stressed that the session was only meant to clarify issues on counting and was not a venue for "hearsays." "This proceeding is not a court of inquiry. In the course of our activity, we will have to ask questions that will be entertained with the pesentation of certain facts," Enrile said. He said that "hearsay evidence unsubstantiated by concrte facts" would not be entertained throughout the course of the canvassing. "Let's do this in an orderly manner as if we are in court," Enrile added, warning members of the panel and guest speakers against "insulting anybody." Digital signatures Among the issues that are expected to be discussed was the failure to implement the use of digital signature that would confirm the credibility and reliability of the electronically transmitted election results. In an interview with GMANews.TV before the start of the hearing, Melo said they expected lawmakers to ask some clarifications on the digital signature, which he said is basically a process or a symbol rather than a real signature of a person. "It doesn’t really have to be a pirma (signature), it can be a number, a combination of numbers and letters (used) to verify na nanggaling nga sa isang tao (yung dokumento). Kapareho ng so-called handshake, acknowledgment, katulad sa fax. I cannot just send a fax to you without your okay," he said. He expressed confidence that they would be able to satisfy the NBOC with their answers. "We are confident. Ito namang lahat ng ito ay out in the open, walang nakatago. It's only a little understanding of what nature of digital signature really is. Hindi naiintindihan ng lahat kasi ang digital signature," Melo said.— LBG/KBK, GMANews.TV