COMMISSION on Elections Chairman Andres Bautista on Tuesday assured the public he and the other poll officials will be “transparent, efficient and accountable” in preparing the automated election system for May 9 elections this year.
He made the statement after acknowledging the negative perceptions on the Comelec following fears of cheating in this year’s elections as a result of a vulnerable election system.
He said he was now working harder to make the public trust the Comelec more.
“We are not blind to how we are regarded by many people,” Bautista said.
“That’s why we are making sure to change our processes.”
Bautista made his statement even as Malacañang on Tuesday said the Comelec had promised orderly, peaceful and clean elections following a Pulse Asia Research survey saying 39 percent of the Filipinos polled expected cheating in this year’s elections.
“The Comelec is one with the government in its goal of ensuring an orderly, peaceful and clean elections in May,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a statement.
“We must know the worries and fears regarding the allegations that there will be cheating in the elections.”
In Baguio City, vice presidential candidate Francis Escudero said Tuesday the fears of cheating in the May elections could have stemmed from President Benigno Aquino III’s endorsement of and campaigning for the administration’s candidates.
He also cited the lobbying by Aquino’s allies to appoint their “friends” to key positions in the Comelec.
He accused administration candidate Manuel Roxas 11 and Senate President Franklin Drilon for lobbying for certain Comelec officials that he did not name.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has ordered the Comelec to comment on the petition filed by former Senator Richard Gordon seeking to compel the poll body to activate the Voter Verification Paper Audit Trail or system for this year’s elections.
The high court gave the Comelec five days to comment on Gordon’s petition.
Bautista said the negative impressions on the Comelec had prompted him and his fellow commissioners to be “transparent” on their automated election preparations.
“We do not deny the culture of trust especially in the Comelec. It has long been there,” Bautista said.
But he said improving the public’s perception of the Comelec would not happen overnight.
He said that since he assumed office, the Comelec had started being transparent by letting all organizations, civil society and the political parties to scrutinize the source code of the vote-counting machines seven months before the elections.
Former Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes had earlier said the reason why the reports of errors or glitches were unfolding during the preparation process for the automated election system was because the new administration led by Bautista was very transparent
“I gave him a grade of nine out of 10,” Brillantes said.
Brillantes admitted that, during his time, the Comelec had received reports of glitches, delays or errors but they did not reveal those reports to reporters as long as they were able to fix them.
“This time the Comelec is transparent,” he said.
Bautista made his statement after the latest survey by Pulse Asia said that nearly four in 10 registered voters expected cheating in the May elections.
Of the 1,800 respondents, 39 percent said they saw that happening while only 29 percent said otherwise. Some 32 percent were undecided.
