The Center for Women’s Resources (CWR) stands with pro-democracy groups in demanding full transparency from the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) on the May 12 electoral process. We echo urgent calls for clarity and accountability on the alarming number of issues related to the automated counting machines (ACMs).ACM-related issues, as well as cases of voter disenfranchisement and other related election day concerns raise questions on the integrity and credibility of the recent electoral process and the public’s trust in the democratic process.
From the reports collected by women’s electoral watchdog Babae Bantayan ang Eleksyon (BaBaE), 58.80% are due to ACM errors and sensitivities – including paper jams, ink problems, issues with pens and ink compatibility, rejected ballots, and invalidated votes due to technical flaws of the machine. These technical malfunctions did not only cause significant delays in the voting process in several areas but also disenfranchisement of voters who were unable to cast their ballots within the allotted time.
In addition to automated election system (AES) anomalies, the question surrounding the upgrade from version 3.4 to 3.5 of the ACM software remains unresolved, as Pro V&V has yet to fulfill its promise to release a revised Final Source Code Review Report to the public. Until this report is released and it is proven that the hash codes of versions 3.4 and 3.5 are identical, CWR, alongside pro-democracy groups, vow to remain vocal and vigilant. We also urge the COMELEC to improve its public communication and refrain from labeling Filipino voters as uninformed while expecting trust in the institution.
We assert that the COMELEC’s blatant dismissal of irregularities as “minor glitches,” claiming that the midterm elections proceeded smoothly, is false. In addition to the numerous anomalies and problems on election day, BaBaE Network and other independent election watchdogs documented cases of intensified and systematic red-tagging, harassment, and disinformation – targeting progressive groups and candidates several months leading up to election day. Such conduct further undermines the integrity and credibility of the electoral process.
Given the numerous loopholes and issues surrounding the automated election system, we join rights groups in urgently calling for the opening of the machines and a manual counting of the ballots to ensure that every vote is properly counted and the integrity of our elections is upheld. #
