The giant television news network ABS-CBN has confirmed the filing of graft and corruption charges against officials of the Commission on Elections and the Venezuelan company SMARTMATIC before the Ombudsman today.
In a story filed by correspondent Ron Gagalac, ABS-CBN News reported that 11 former and incumbent officials of the COMELEC were included in the charges filed by private individuals led by former Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr. and members of election watchdog groups.
Here is the report filed by Ron Gagalac:
By Ron Gagalac, ABS-CBN News
Posted at 06/10/2013 5:51 PM | Updated as of 06/10/2013 5:51 PM
MANILA – Election watchdogs filed a graft and corruption case today at the Ombudsman against 11 former and incumbent officials of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), all of whom are members of the Melo Commission, for alleged conspiracy in the approval and use of the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines.
According to the complaint, the 11 officers placed in grave peril the sanctity of the ballot by choosing the PCOS machine which, they say, turned out to be inefficient and highly suspicious in producing results for both the 2010 and 2013 elections.
“Ang trend ngayon sa ibang bansa winawaksi na yung ganitong technology, the technology that does not reflect the will of the people,” Atty. Rommel Bagares, counsel for the complainants, said.
Charged with violation of the anti-graft law are former Comelec Chairman Jose Melo; former Commissioners Rene Sarmiento, Nicodemo Ferrer, Armando Velasco, and Leonardo Leonida; Directors Jose Tolentino Jr. and Bartolome Sinocruz Jr.; Consultant to Chairman Melo, Renato Garcia; Chairman of Technical Evaluation Committee Dennis Villorente; and TEC Members Ferdinand De Leon and Reynaldo Sy.
Also included in the complaint are the directors and officers of the Smartmatic Asia Pacific and Smartmatic TIM Corporation. They are: Smartmatic Asia Pacific President Cesar Flores; Smartmatic TIM Corporation Chairman Julian Villa Jr; Smartmatic International Corporation Chief Financial Officer Armando Yanes; Sr Vice President of Smartmatic TIM Salvador Aque; and Members of the Board of Directors Alberto Castro, Jacinto Perez Jr., and Marian Ivy Reyes-Fajardo.
The complainants, on the other hand, includes former Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr., Fr. Joe Dizon, Rodolfo Jun Lozada Jr., Anna Leah Escresa-Colina, Gregorio Fabros, Hector Barrios, and Evita Jimenez.
Atty. Bagares said they are filing a complaint after discovering procedural lapses in the acquisition of the machines in 2010.
“Walang pilot testing na ginawa bago ginamit. Sa batas hindi pwedeng rewritable ang CF card pero ang ginamit rewritable. Nandyan pa yung kawalan ng satellite-ready transmission,” he said.
“Wala ring safety and security, at higit sa lahat, walang review ng source code.”
Fr. Joe Dizon, co-convenor of AES Watch, said millions of voters were disenfranchised last May election mainly because of the 18,000 PCOS machines that malfunctioned.
“Kahit isa lang yun, one is too many. Binayaran natin ng malaking halaga yan, kailangan ideliver nya ay 99.99%, eh 9 to 11 million votes ang hindi nabilang,” he said.
Dizon challenged Comelec to release the actual figures.
Jun Lozada, an IT expert himself, said the PCOS machine failed to eliminate doubts on results which is supposed to be the objective of automation.
“Kung mali ang prosesong pinabilis mo, pinabilis mo lang yung pagkakamali,” he said.
He believes that PCOS is one of the most outdated election counting machines in the market that the Philippines is the lone user globally.
Lozada, however, emphasized that this is just the first step in making the Comelec officials accountable.
“It doesn’t mean na pumunta kami dito sa Ombudsman ay hindi na kami pupunta sa Kongreso,” he said.
Bagares said the complainants are also looking into the possibility that incumbent Comelec officials be charged as well.
“Yung mga nakaupo kasi sa Comelec ngayon immune from suit pero meron tayong ifa-file na supplemental motion. It is a request for investigation sa Ombudsman at yung ebidensyang makukuha ay pwedeng gamitin kung maihain na ang impeachment complaint,” he said.
The current top officers of Comelec can only be unseated through an impeachment complaint filed before the members of Congress.
“Ang danyos dito ay sa demokrasya natin dahil hindi napangalagaan ang ating mga boto,” he added.
More Stories
Building North Cotabato’s Soybeans Industry To Support Poultry, Livestock, Aquaculture & Halal Beef Production Program!
Thank You, Dado, Alamada Vegetable Farmers!
1st Batch Of Spanish Goats Arriving End Of April!