Voting day SHE SAYS Dinah S. Ventura 05/12/2010

Voting day

SHE SAYS Dinah S. Ventura 05/12/2010 In a way, all the dire predictions made days before May 10, 2010 helped Filipinos become less irritable. Expecting the worst, many came to their polling precincts ready with a vast — if not limitless — supply of patience. The lines were long and the waiting, of course, excruciating. But it was heartening to note that people were willing to spend long hours waiting to exercise their right to suffrage (or as one voter quipped, “right to suffer and rage”). Anyway, whatever the outcome, we would all have demonstrated once more how hopeful we remain as a nation. Or are we? There’s no telling what could happen if, by today, we still have no idea who will be occupying Malacañang next. After all, the promise of automation was faster results. They told us votes would have been counted just two days after elections. It was one of the main points raised before it was decided that the Philippines would have its first-ever automated polls. Government even spent over P11 billion for it! As it happened, elections came and went, Philippine-style. Until the voting day itself, PCOS machines had yet to be delivered to certain areas, although its supplier, Smartmatic-TIM, reported that all machines had already reached their destinations nationwide. Some places in Metro Manila experienced long delays because of defective machines, however. In Lanao del Sur, failure of elections was declared in four towns by 12 noon, and in Maguindanao, violence erupted..... MORE   Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100512com7.html

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