Comelec: Manual Elections Still An Option

The Commission on Elections has reiterated for the nth time that automated elections will push through. But as can be expected such assurances have done very little to allay the fears of the perennially paranoid.
In the hopes of quelling talks of the possibility of failure of elections, Comelec has now resorted to saying that manual [...]

Start of Printing of Ballots Postponed

The Commission on Elections has postponed the printing of ballots. Originally scheduled today, the start of ballot printing is now scheduled for February.
According to the commission, the delay is due to the pendency of disqualification cases filed against a number of local and national candidates. Comelc Commissioner Rene Sarmiento explains that the names of candidates [...]

PCOS Field Tests Set This Month

The Commission on Elections and Smartmatic held a press conference yesterday to reiterate their assurance that the automated election system is hack-proof.
Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal says laboratory testing is now being conducted on the Precinct Count Optimal Scan machines in their warehouse in Cabuyao, Laguna.
Field tests are also set to commence before the end of [...]

Automated Elections Fears

The Commission on Elections is right in identifying fear as the greatest danger to automation. Just consider what’s out there in the news  on the poll automation project — the dangers of hacking, delays in preparations, the inevitability of electoral fraud, and worst of all failure of elections.
While it is okay to raise concerns, those [...]

Comelec Official list of Presidential candidates in 2010 elections

Here’s the official list:

Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro (Lakas-Kampi CMD)
Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III (Liberal Party)
Manuel B. Villar Jr. (Nacionalista Party)
Richard J. Gordon (Bagumbayan)
Joseph “Erap” Estrada (Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino – UNO)
John Carlos “JC” Delos Reyes (Ang Kapatiran)
Maria Ana Consuelo “Jamby” A.S. Madrigal (independent)
Eddie C. Villanueva (Bangon Pilipinas)
Nicanor Perlas
Vetallano Acosta (Kilusang Bagong Lipunan)

SWS survey says People Power if elections fail

The automated election system is built with redundant security features and back up systems that is intended to counter any possibility of sabotage.

Cell Site Surveys Delayed By Extortion

I heard a TV news report that Smartmatic-TIM encountered some problems with the New People’s Army in Southern Luzon. Smartmatic-TIM spokesperson Gene Gregorio was interviewed and he said their personnel encountered communist rebels who demanded payment of the so-called access fee. Gregorio says the demanded amount was at least P5,000. I’m assuming the consortium was [...]

Smartmatic-TIM Statement on the latest delivery of PCOS machines and other equipment by Gene Gregorio, Spokesman

The latest batch of PCOS machines was released by the Bureau of Customs with dispatch and was immediately transported this morning to the Smartmatic TIM warehouse in Cabuyao, Laguna.

Additionally, two more shipments of 2,400 and 8,000 units have arrived yesterday onboard vessels Horai Bridge S006 and Wan Hai 172 S018, respectively. They are currently being processed and will be delivered to the warehouse after release.

Another shipment of 8,000 units of PCOS onboard vessel Yong Da 185E is expected to arrive in the next few days.

SEO Experiment: Noynoy Aquino, Manny Villar, Gilbert Teodoro, Richard Gordon

The number of people reading, writing or talking about the automated election in May is rising but is still far from ideal. More people should already be discussing poll automation by this time. This is important because any and all possible issues regarding this should be ironed out before — not during and after — [...]

More PCOS Machines delivered today as Comelec sees delays in ballot printing

This morning, some 10,400 PCOS or Automated Counting Machines will be delivered at the door step of the Commission on Elections at the Palacio del Gobernador in Intramuros, Manila. This brings up the total number of voting machines delivered to 15,320.

Another 8,000 machines is due to arrive at one of Manila’s ports and around 17,000 have left the manufacturing plant in Shanghai. Added together, a total of 40,320 will have been delivered before January ends and this is about half of the total 82,000 PCOS machines that will be supplied to the Comelec for the 2010 automated polls.