2010 Poll Watchdog Urges People's Action in Worst-Case Scenario

MANILA - A 2010 election watchdog group launched yesterday is geared not only to monitor the upcoming elections, but also to rally the public to respond accordingly should the electorate's will be frustrated.

Kontra Daya 2010, which was launched yesterday morning in Intramuros, Manila, has this early raised several fears about the May elections. These include the possibility of massive fraud and failure of elections.

"Our objective is to have credible and acceptable elections," said former Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz, one of Kontra Daya's conveners, in a press conference organized for the launch. "With the number of warnings and complaints we have received and signs (that are making themselves felt), there is every reason to be worried about May 2010."

"We want to prepare the people to take action in case the worst scenario takes place," said Fr. Joe Dizon of Solidarity Philippines, another Kontra Daya convener.

Father Dizon also said that in the event of a worst-case scenario, such as failure of elections or a declaration of martial law - or both - the people should stage civil disobedience. Mo. Mary John Mananzan of the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines (AMRSP), another convener, expressed a similar view.

Another convener, screenwriter and actress Bibeth Orteza who is also a spokesperson of the Pagbabago! People's Movement for Change, said she is not even sure whether elections would push through.

"With the Ampatuan Massacre and the arrest and detention of 43 health workers in Morong, we need only one big (thing) to happen in the Visayas to complete the justification for declaring martial law," she said. "The government is establishing an atmosphere among all the people."

"The signs are clear that Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo wants to remain in power beyond 2010," Father Dizon also said.

"With the long history of fraud and manipulation involving the Comelec and other government agencies to favor the incumbent regime, the concerns about the automated elections are serious and require action," said Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan or New Patriotic Alliance) secretary-general Renato Reyes Jr., another convener. "We have to be ready to mobilize in huge numbers, should there be a failure of elections. We cannot let Mrs. Arroyo take advantage of that situation to perpetuate herself in power."

Arroyo acceded to the presidency in 2001 following the ouster of then-President Joseph Estrada through a people-power uprising. She ran in the 2004 presidential elections, and won over her closest rival, the late actor Fernando Poe Jr., amid allegations of massive fraud and violence.

The outgoing president is currently seeking a seat as the representative of Pampanga's second district at the House of Representatives. Critics believe this is part of a plot to install Arroyo as House Speaker, to be followed by charter-change moves to effect a shift in the form of government from presidential to parliamentary, and declaring her as prime minister. This would enable her to hold power beyond June 30, when her term is due to end.

Another convener, Poe's daughter Grace Poe-Llamanzares, said the people need to be vigilant in order to ensure that her father's experience in 2004 will not be repeated.

In the controversial "Hello Garci" recordings, a woman with a voice similar to Arroyo's is heard instructing an election official - whose voice sounds like that of former Election Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano - to rig the 2004 presidential polls and secure for her a victory of "more than 1M" over Poe. Arroyo went on to trounce Poe by more than a million votes.

Other conveners who attended were Dr. Giovanni Tapang, who chairs the scientists' group Agham and teaches physics at the University of the Philippines (UP); Henri Kahn of the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM); Ferdinand Gaite of the Confederation for the Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (Courage); Alfred Pascual of the Automated Election System (AES) Watch; screenwriter and actress Bibeth Orteza, spokesperson of the Pagbabago! People's Movement for Change; and Alvin Peters of the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP).

Tapang noted issues which, he said, show the various vulnerabilities of the coming elections. These, he said, include the automated election system's proneness to fraud through either external or internal hacking. Other "outstanding issues" Tapang identified include "the source code review of the software that will be used, the infrastructure for the safe transmission of data as well as the readiness of Comelec personnel and the voting public for automated polls."

Kahn warned about what he described was the high likelihood of a failure of elections taking place.

Gaite went a step further. "There seems to be a planned failure of elections," he said. He cited as indicators the one-month delay in, and the slow pace of, the printing of ballots, which he said could lead to a massive disenfranchisement of voters.

Pascual, meanwhile, noted the lack of physical and internal preparations for the conduct of automated elections. He also deplored the lack of a contingency plan to be implemented "if things go wrong".

Kontra Daya's concerns are contained in a letter to Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Jose Melo, prepared by the conveners.

In the letter, which Peters read at the press conference and copies of which were distributed to the media, the Kontra Daya conveners criticized what they described as the time-consuming character of the automated election system. They also noted the rejection of ballots and difficulties in the transmission of results in field tests and mock elections conducted all over the country in the past few weeks.

"The biggest fear of people right now, candidates included, is that the automated election system is vulnerable to rigging or that there may be failure of elections if all does not go well," the conveners said.

"The Comelec must adopt a self-critical outlook so that the problems and vulnerabilities can be addressed," they added.

After the press conference, the conveners marched to the Comelec office to deliver the letter of concern. At first there was some commotion, as guards tried to refuse them entry. A few of the conveners, however, were let in after a few minutes of negotiations. They were able to present the letter to Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal, who said its contents will be taken up during the Comelec's en banc session this coming Feb. 23.

Kontra Daya aims to field volunteers nationwide, and encourages the participation of the people in their greatest numbers in monitoring the conduct and results of the 2010 elections. It has put up a website, www.kontradaya.com, where initially the results of field tests and mock elections, as well as several articles on other issues regarding the 2010 elections, may be viewed. (Bulatlat.com)