A clear waste of P11.3 billion taxpayers’ money FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 04/26/2010

A clear waste of P11.3 billion taxpayers’ money

FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 04/26/2010 The irony of it all is that too many Filipinos, in power and out, were all gung-ho about holding nationwide automated polls, even when early enough, there were already danger signs that automated elections would create more problems for the nation. The law was clear enough: prior to holding nationwide automated polls, a pilot testing of automated polls should be conducted in two areas each in two cities, municipalities and provinces. But the Commission on Elections (Comelec) officials insisted that the law has been substantially enforced, as the automated elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) fulfilled that provision of the law. The Supreme Court bought that Comelec ARMM polls argument, and even upheld the Comelec’s position that a foreign supplier, Smartmatic, would in essence be in full control of the conduct of elections. Comelec was entrusted with the biggest poll budget ever — P11.3 billion, plus plus, as there was still additional funding for the AFIS, the fingerprinting system to weed out ghost voters. The voters’ list was never purged as it should have been purged.... MORE   Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100426com2.html

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