COMELEC HINDI MA IPAGTANGOL ANG MGA PARATANG NAH IBINIBINTANG SAH KANILA SAH SENATE TUNGKOL SAH TAMPERING SAH ELECTION VOTING NG SMARTMATIC

This coming election 2019 should the Filipino put their trust on a foreign company that a lot of controversial ties with the Liberal party. The most important decision we, the Filipino people must take is whether we will still be using Smartmatic-PCOS machine to cast our votes. Or the moment there are no discussions on the heart of the problem – it is unconstitutional. We are diverted by incidents of cheating. We need to look at it the way other countries have. Comelec has practically turned over our elections to a foreign group in the business of buying and selling automated systems. “By entering into a contract with Smartmatic, the Comelec, in effect delegated the exclusive powers granted to it by the 1987 Constitution to a private, foreign company based in the Netherlands.

 The more appropriate word would be “abdicated.” The Comelec, through its contract with Smartmatic, in effect, outsourced the supervision of the Philippine electoral system, including the counting, consolidation and canvassing of votes, among other things. At best, the Comelec performed a subsidiary role to Smartmatic in the elections. It, in effect, transformed itself into the secretariat of Smartmatic, which, to all intents and purposes, usurped the poll body’s functions and powers. We should be grateful to Glenn Chong for resurrecting the issue of how Smartmatic-PCOS machines have taken over elections in our country. To his supporters this column would advise them to refrain from recommending him to be the next Comelec chairman. That will not be a solution.

The problem is the Comelec itself. It must be abolished. Malacañang said postponing the 2019 elections should be done only if a new Constitution would be drafted and ratified by the people before the polls. Otherwise, it said, there is no reason to stop the scheduled balloting.

(Senate hearing sah Smartmatic at Comelec)