CHIZ: CLEANSE LIST OF VOTERS TOGETHER WITH AUTOMATION

Sen. Francis "Chiz" Escudero reiterated yesterday that he is not against poll automation but just wants to know exactly what type of equipment the Comelec plans to buy.

During the bicameral committee hearing of the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on Automated Election System of which he heads, Escudero expressed the importance of transparency to ensure that there is physical evidence of the voting done by each individual.

He also said that while Republic Act 9369 (Poll Automation Law) mandates the computerization of elections the Comelec should also undertake steps to cleanse the list of voters side by side with the automation, and that 100% of voters be covered by the biometric system.

"Efforts to automate the elections will be futile if the Comelec does not purge the voters' list. They should also demonstrate the effectiveness of the machine they plan to buy at the next hearing."

At the same time, he asked the poll body to disseminate all the proper information on the matter to allay the concern on the part of some teachers that they would no longer be needed during an automated poll.

Escudero cautioned the Comelec against repeating previous mistakes.

"Those behind the P1.3 billion Mega Pacific Corp. contract that was shot down by the Supreme Court are still operating and may even be guiding some of the clueless legal minds at the Comelec. Even a partial computerization could leave certain areas of the country in a situation that could be manipulated. The Garci-operated exercise in Mindanao is still fresh in our minds," Escudero added.

Escudero said while he doesn't question the integrity of Comelec Chairman Melo to lead the Comelec in holding an automated election in 2010, he is uneasy about the way the machines will be operated by Comelec personnel.

"As a voter and a taxpayer, I have misgivings about their familiarity and expertise in operating the machines. Do they know how to use these? If the system gets glitches along the way, will they be able to trouble shoot it without hampering the process? The system they want adopted is not yet tried and tested."

Escudero said these questions need to be answered by the Comelec to lift confidence among the people that the automated system will improve and provide more credence to the election process in the country.