Members of the House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms agreed that overall, the May 2016 national and local elections were a success. But they stressed the need to improve the automated election system to enable the public to see how the counting of votes is actually done.
In a hearing on the assessment of the May 2016 polls, committee members acknowledged the claim of Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Andres Bautista that this year’s national and local elections surpassed the 2010 and 2013 elections in terms of higher voter turnout, establishment of accessible polling places for senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs), and fewer number of election protests and election-related violence.
But the lawmakers stressed the need to further improve the automated election system for more transparency in future elections.
Rep. Sherwin Tugna (Party-list, CIBAC), committee chairman, lauded the Comelec for its performance in the May 2016 elections and for the positive data and analysis it provided the committee, but these did not include the automated election system.
“Well, I generally believe it was fine. But that does not encompass the other experiences of the other municipalities and provinces. The automated election system is subject to finetuning and improvement,” said Tugna.
Deputy Speaker and Cebu Third District Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia affirmed the success of the 2016 elections but expressed some doubts on the vote counting machines (VCMs). According to her there are some election results which are questionable.
“We now have a protest filed for the second highest position of the land. There continues to be the question about automated counting, parang nawawalan ng credibility. It is always subject to suspicion and questions. Ever since we started with automated elections, if you would go way back in 2010, ang daming mga protest kasi talagang hindi nakikita iyong pag count. I myself in 2013, I will show you with my own facts on the basis of the HRET (House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal) recount, my votes increased in the manual recount,” said Garcia.
The committee requested the Comelec to submit a report on the reliability of using the VCMs during the 2010, 2013 and 2016 national and local elections.
In response to the observations of the committee members, Bautista said the diagnostic study of the VCMs will be completed by February 2017. He said the results of the study will guide the Comelec in deciding whether to refurbish, lease or procure VCMs for the 2019 elections.
Bautista cited that more than P5 billion was spent by the government for the procurement and lease of the VCMs during the 2010 and 2016 elections.
Bautista urged the committee members to conduct an ocular inspection of the VCMs warehouse in Cabuyao, Laguna to personally gauge the condition of the machines and their maintenance and storage systems.
Meanwhile, other lawmakers lauded the Comelec for its efficiency during the recent elections. House Deputy Speaker Fredenil Castro recognized the accuracy and honesty of the Comelec under Bautista.
“It is far better than any of the elections prior, in terms of speed, in terms of order, in terms of accuracy, and in terms of honesty. It is far better than the rest of prior elections because we have a better chairman now,” said Castro.
Deputy Speaker and Marikina City Second District Rep. Romero “Miro” Quimbo said though the 2016 elections were not totally problem-free, overall, the elections were a success. “Dahil nakita natin yung will ng tao sa lalong mas mabilis na pamamaraan, which is the most important thing. Tingin ko kung bibigyan ko ng grado, bibigyan ko ng 87 ang Comelec sa kanilang nagawa,” said Quimbo.
Bautista said for the elections to enhance one’s voting experience, it should look out for the comfort and convenience of the voter. Moreover, a high voter turnout strengthens credibility.
He cited there was an all-time high of voter turnout in the 2016 polls compared to previous elections : 54,363,844 or 81.95 percent voter turnout in the 2016 elections; 50,653,828 or 74.99 percent turnout in 2010; and 51,345,478 or 77.57 percent turnout in 2013.
Meanwhile, Bautista said the voter turnout of overseas Filipino voters in the last elections were the following: 589,830 or 25.99% in 2010; 737,759 or 16.11% in 2013; and 1,376,067 or 31.25% in 2016.
Moreover, the local absentee voter turnout in 2010 was 25,663 or 74.33%; 12,732 or 65.59% in 2013; and 24,727 or 77.76% in 2016.
Bautista said the general strategy they implemented had the acronym ICE TEA or “Inspire the Comelec workforce, Consult, Engage stakeholders and Critics, be Transparent, Efficient and Accountable in the way they do things.”
Bautista likewise explained the mechanisms introduced by the Comelec to ensure that the elections were orderly and successful.
“That specific approach was to improve upon 2010 and 2013 performance, identify key result areas/performance indicators (KRAs/KPIs) and create a performance scorecard,” he said.
Bautista pointed out that for Automated Election System (AES) transparency, mock elections were done in nine locations in 2010; 28 locations in 2013; and 40 locations for 2016. A source code review was done a month before the 2010 elections and four days before the 2013 polls. Meanwhile, seven months before the 2016 elections, an initial review was conducted, and three months before the 2016 elections, a final review was done.
While there was no public ballot printing tracking system for the 2010 and 2013 elections, a tracking system was provided for in the 2016 polls. Also, while there was no results website for the 2010 and 2013 polls, a results website was installed for the 2016 elections, according to Bautista.
Bautista also informed the committee that additional needed reforms are on the way, not just in preparation for the midterm election in 2019 but for the 2022 elections.
Other House members present during the hearing were committee vice chairman Rep. Edward Vera Perez Maceda (4th District,Manila), Deputy Speaker and Batangas Second District Rep. Raneo Abu, Rep. Pablo Ortega (1s District, La Union), Rep. Luis Jose Angel N. Campos, Jr. (2nd District, Makati City), Rep. Deogracias Victor “DV” B. Savellano (1st District, Ilocos Sur), Rep. Eugene Michael B. De Vera (Party-list, ABS), Rep. Anthony Bravo (Party-list, COOP NATCCO), Rep. Joseph Stephen S. Paduano (Party-list, ABANG LINGKOD), Rep. Abigail Faye C. Ferriol Pascual (Party-list, KALINGA), Rep. Benhur B. Lopez Jr. (Party-list, YACAP), and Rep. Harlin Neil J. Abayon III (Party-list, AANGAT TAYO).
In a hearing on the assessment of the May 2016 polls, committee members acknowledged the claim of Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Andres Bautista that this year’s national and local elections surpassed the 2010 and 2013 elections in terms of higher voter turnout, establishment of accessible polling places for senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs), and fewer number of election protests and election-related violence.
But the lawmakers stressed the need to further improve the automated election system for more transparency in future elections.
Rep. Sherwin Tugna (Party-list, CIBAC), committee chairman, lauded the Comelec for its performance in the May 2016 elections and for the positive data and analysis it provided the committee, but these did not include the automated election system.
“Well, I generally believe it was fine. But that does not encompass the other experiences of the other municipalities and provinces. The automated election system is subject to finetuning and improvement,” said Tugna.
Deputy Speaker and Cebu Third District Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia affirmed the success of the 2016 elections but expressed some doubts on the vote counting machines (VCMs). According to her there are some election results which are questionable.
“We now have a protest filed for the second highest position of the land. There continues to be the question about automated counting, parang nawawalan ng credibility. It is always subject to suspicion and questions. Ever since we started with automated elections, if you would go way back in 2010, ang daming mga protest kasi talagang hindi nakikita iyong pag count. I myself in 2013, I will show you with my own facts on the basis of the HRET (House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal) recount, my votes increased in the manual recount,” said Garcia.
The committee requested the Comelec to submit a report on the reliability of using the VCMs during the 2010, 2013 and 2016 national and local elections.
In response to the observations of the committee members, Bautista said the diagnostic study of the VCMs will be completed by February 2017. He said the results of the study will guide the Comelec in deciding whether to refurbish, lease or procure VCMs for the 2019 elections.
Bautista cited that more than P5 billion was spent by the government for the procurement and lease of the VCMs during the 2010 and 2016 elections.
Bautista urged the committee members to conduct an ocular inspection of the VCMs warehouse in Cabuyao, Laguna to personally gauge the condition of the machines and their maintenance and storage systems.
Meanwhile, other lawmakers lauded the Comelec for its efficiency during the recent elections. House Deputy Speaker Fredenil Castro recognized the accuracy and honesty of the Comelec under Bautista.
“It is far better than any of the elections prior, in terms of speed, in terms of order, in terms of accuracy, and in terms of honesty. It is far better than the rest of prior elections because we have a better chairman now,” said Castro.
Deputy Speaker and Marikina City Second District Rep. Romero “Miro” Quimbo said though the 2016 elections were not totally problem-free, overall, the elections were a success. “Dahil nakita natin yung will ng tao sa lalong mas mabilis na pamamaraan, which is the most important thing. Tingin ko kung bibigyan ko ng grado, bibigyan ko ng 87 ang Comelec sa kanilang nagawa,” said Quimbo.
Bautista said for the elections to enhance one’s voting experience, it should look out for the comfort and convenience of the voter. Moreover, a high voter turnout strengthens credibility.
He cited there was an all-time high of voter turnout in the 2016 polls compared to previous elections : 54,363,844 or 81.95 percent voter turnout in the 2016 elections; 50,653,828 or 74.99 percent turnout in 2010; and 51,345,478 or 77.57 percent turnout in 2013.
Meanwhile, Bautista said the voter turnout of overseas Filipino voters in the last elections were the following: 589,830 or 25.99% in 2010; 737,759 or 16.11% in 2013; and 1,376,067 or 31.25% in 2016.
Moreover, the local absentee voter turnout in 2010 was 25,663 or 74.33%; 12,732 or 65.59% in 2013; and 24,727 or 77.76% in 2016.
Bautista said the general strategy they implemented had the acronym ICE TEA or “Inspire the Comelec workforce, Consult, Engage stakeholders and Critics, be Transparent, Efficient and Accountable in the way they do things.”
Bautista likewise explained the mechanisms introduced by the Comelec to ensure that the elections were orderly and successful.
“That specific approach was to improve upon 2010 and 2013 performance, identify key result areas/performance indicators (KRAs/KPIs) and create a performance scorecard,” he said.
Bautista pointed out that for Automated Election System (AES) transparency, mock elections were done in nine locations in 2010; 28 locations in 2013; and 40 locations for 2016. A source code review was done a month before the 2010 elections and four days before the 2013 polls. Meanwhile, seven months before the 2016 elections, an initial review was conducted, and three months before the 2016 elections, a final review was done.
While there was no public ballot printing tracking system for the 2010 and 2013 elections, a tracking system was provided for in the 2016 polls. Also, while there was no results website for the 2010 and 2013 polls, a results website was installed for the 2016 elections, according to Bautista.
Bautista also informed the committee that additional needed reforms are on the way, not just in preparation for the midterm election in 2019 but for the 2022 elections.
Other House members present during the hearing were committee vice chairman Rep. Edward Vera Perez Maceda (4th District,Manila), Deputy Speaker and Batangas Second District Rep. Raneo Abu, Rep. Pablo Ortega (1s District, La Union), Rep. Luis Jose Angel N. Campos, Jr. (2nd District, Makati City), Rep. Deogracias Victor “DV” B. Savellano (1st District, Ilocos Sur), Rep. Eugene Michael B. De Vera (Party-list, ABS), Rep. Anthony Bravo (Party-list, COOP NATCCO), Rep. Joseph Stephen S. Paduano (Party-list, ABANG LINGKOD), Rep. Abigail Faye C. Ferriol Pascual (Party-list, KALINGA), Rep. Benhur B. Lopez Jr. (Party-list, YACAP), and Rep. Harlin Neil J. Abayon III (Party-list, AANGAT TAYO).
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