Still evasive FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 05/22/2010

Still evasive

FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 05/22/2010 It seems pretty clear that the electronic fraud was probably massive, given the evidence being presented in the congressional hearing and the evident evasive and unsatisfactory answers given by Smartmatic tend to show that the poll officials as well as its partner in automation knew just how massive this fraud is. But even as clearly the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines failed in ensuring fraud-free polls, there went the Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioners, still claiming that the fraud couldn’t have been massive, and even as the evidence was being presented before the body, and saying that such would not alter the results of the polls. In other words, Comelec officials were there, still defending the failed automated polls and naturally, their partner, Smartmatic, even taking the same line of the partner that the time logs in the transmission of the election returns are of no importance. There was absolutely no anti-fraud security system in this first ever automated election which is now being discovered to be a big flop, as well as perhaps being the dirtiest automated polls ever. So who should be held responsible and accountable? Smartmatic, for certain. But the Comelec officials, they too, very definitely should be held accountable, as it was they who had approved the removal of all the security features, giving the Comelec cheating syndicate, led by the Big Four, all the opportunity to manipulate the results of the polls. While it was fairly clear, from the start, that these Comelec commissioners were pretty clueless, or at least playing cluelessness, about automation and relied heavily on whatever Smartmatic did, as did the PPCRV, that always looked the other way, the fact is that it is just common sense for a poll body, given its history of having been marked with fraudulent practices, to ensure that all the security features were retained.... MORE   Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100522com2.html

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Talking from experience FRONTLINE Still evasive ANALYSIS Thai government must engage Thaksin to heal divides