Concerned civil society groups have called for parallel manual count by COMELEC in the May 10 polls. This is an offshoot of a growing belief that the first automated national elections of the Philippines does not have enough safeguards to prevent cheating. To achieve credibility on the election results, a move was hatched by concerned groups such as the business club of Makati to suggest to COMELEC to also do manual count aside from the automated poll count. It looks like the poll commissioners will just junk the said proposal and will go ahead with the aultstomated results. This is sad.
The suggestion for a parallel count is reasonable and will help in achieving credible election results. As it is, the automated polls stand to lose against creative attempts to inject cheating and influence the results. Majority of the voters might not see their votes count. Either they could be unknowingly disenfranchise or see their votes that they cast disregarded. Whatever the mode of cheating will be launched in the May 10 polls, what is alarming is the seeming inaction of the COMELEC to do something about the suspicions and fears of concerned civil society groups about a credible May 10 polls.
So far, there is a trend about what the outcome will be that is being offered to the Filipino voters by local pollsters such as Pulse Asia and the SWS (social weather station) outfits. But the problem is, will their surveys be similar to the actual election result?
So, where does the country stands right at this juncture in its historical attempt to produce leaders through automation? There is courage and doubt. Courage that the people will pursue the course of peaceful means to effect change in society, but also doubt due to inadequate safeguards to defend the first automated polls from professional cheaters.
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