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Fontanilla, Nicole Rose B. BIO 1 – WFW Feb 7, 2013

2009-11704 BS CD “News Headline # 1” Prof. P. Ong

Source/Reference: Philippine Daily Inquirer (Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2013)

Article: Brillantes: If they don’t want PCOS, let’s go back to manual (By J.R. UY, TJ Burgonio, E. Sauler) 

Summary: 

The Commission on Election or COMELEC conducted a mock election last Saturday in 20 voting

centers in 10 areas in the country. This is to ensure that Comelec, as well as other watchdogs like Kontra

Daya are very much prepared for the March 13 election in terms of logistics and troubleshooting of 

possible problems during the process. Brillantes defended glitches, minor as he saw it, during the dry

run and said that they are unavoidable and only have very little chances of happening – “one out of the

81,000”. The said minor problems were, the failure of some of the precint count optical scan (PCOS)

machines to read ballots, the rejection of some ballots by the machines and the unproper fit of thermal

papers in the PCOS printer. However, critics, especially Kontra Daya concluded the inflation of more

major problems during the election because of the unaided concerns that happened last 2010

automated election. Due to this heavy accusation of Kontra Daya, Brillantes offered the shift from

automatic to manual election for it is too late to acquire new and advance technology. Despite of the

criticisms received by the Comelec, the Malacaῆang still pushed their confidence for the commission’s

ability to handle the March 13 election. This is because it is the second time for Brillantes to handle such

automation. Alongside the problem, the National Printing Office will initially print 770,000 ballots, or 10

ballots for each of the 77,000 precints, for the testing and sealing of the PCOS machines. The NPO has

yet to print a volume of 52 million official ballots for March 13.

Reaction: 

“Let’s give them a chance!” It is good to give criticisms to improve on them but, insisting it to

the point that it affect the working system is not healthy. Kontra Day should not easily conclude the

failure of the March 13 election, very much facets still need to be look into. Instead of just heavily giving

criticisms, watchdogs such as Kontra Daya, should also help in terms of action, to better the whole

process. Such criticisms only lower the confidence and integrity of the Comelec and will only promote

division among the partnered institutions. Brillantes said the change from automatic to manual because

of the lack of possible ways to answer the critics and please them. “Kung kokontra, magbigay ng

solusyon.” However, I do not blame Kontra Daya as well as the others to think negatively about

Comelec. Historically speaking, we can recall the “Hello, Garci Scandal” that hindered the Presidency of 

the late FPJ. On the Cultural lens, we cannot take the cheating away from our political system that is

why the masses lost their faith on the integrity of the government. But, we cannot move forward if we

still sleep on the past nightmares. Let us dream on for a better future ahead of the nation. Unity and

cooperation are very useful tools to shift from negativity to positivity.