Plug gaps or scram C.R.O.S.S.R.O.A.D.S Jonathan De la Cruz 06/30/2010

Plug gaps or scram

C.R.O.S.S.R.O.A.D.S Jonathan De la Cruz 06/30/2010 First off, we join the entire nation in wishing our top two elected leaders, President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino (P.Noy for short) and Vice-President Jejomar “Jojo” Binay (V-Nay as his closest associates have come to call him), all the best as they enter into their six-year mandate to “serve our people in the best way they can.” As they carry the burden of bringing to fruition the “dreams and expectations” of 93 million Filipinos including the millions more overseas for a better future we can only add our prayers for their success and the hope that their term will usher in a new level of maturity and unity for the common good which has so far eluded us all these years. Mabuhay! *** Here’s what Makati Rep.TeddyBoy Locsin Jr., the chairman of the House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms said on the first automated elections in the country (and Asean as well?): “Lest it be overlooked, there was no failure of elections, contrary to the hysterical warnings of pundits and politicians. The closest the country came to failure of elections was the thoroughly inexcusable wrongly configured CF cards crisis days before May 10 — a case none of the doomsayers anticipated...” Then, obviously with an eye on the hanging issues and, yes, unspoken concerns raised, in and out of Congress, during its two and half weeks of inquiry into... the alleged fraud, manipulation and related malpractices during the May 10 elections,” he immediately noted the “fitful credibility” with which the technical provider Smartmatic-TIM explained crucial issues related to the system’s operation. He mentioned in particular the variations in the provider’s explanation of the “date-and-time” stamps showing voting done on various dates, i.e., April 27 and 28 in Manila, May 3, 4, and 5 in Muntinlupa, late May 10 up to May 11 in Makati and Biliran and May 12 in other areas. He then noted other gaps such as the potential misuse of the PCOS machines and the consolidated counting system (CCS) and the all encompassing “machines don’t cheat, people do and if some losers are whiners, then some winners are cheaters...”... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100630com5.html

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Deliberate fraud FRONTLINE No hitting the ground running FEATURE Future looks sunny for Bangkok’s tuk-tuks MR. EXPOSE Refreshingly informal C.R.O.S.S.R.O.A.D.S Plug gaps or scram HE SAYS Our future under Noy SHE SAYS Transition