TWO GROUPS on Wednesday requested the Supreme Court (SC) to compel the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to implement digital signatures for the May 9 polls, disclose critical information and allow access of political parties, candidates, accredited media and other organizations to the poll body's processes
.In their petition, the National Press Club of the Philippines (NPC) and the Guardians Brotherhood and Automated Election System (AES Watch) sought a writ of mandamus from the SC for the poll body to allow access and inspection of the printing of ballots at the National Printing Office (NPO), including the examination of the ballots already printed without the presence of observers.
The group also sought the publication of deployment destinations of the ballots printed without the presence of observers.
"While we appreciate the pronouncements of the new poll chair, Saidamen Pangarungan and the two new commissioners, George Garcia and Aimee Neri, that they are committed to transparency, the public remains apprehensive given the Comelec's poor track record in past elections," NPC president Paul Gutierrez told reporters.
The suit also asked the SC to compel the poll body to allow public scrutiny of the disposition or destruction of the reported 5.2 million defective ballots and allow inspection of the configuration and preparation of the SD cards to be used in the vote-counting machines (VCMs) through Comelec-accredited observers at the Sta. Rosa, Laguna warehouse.
The groups also want Comelec to allow inspection access to SD cards that have already been configured and prepared without observers and allow the public to observe the pre-logic and accuracy test to be conducted.
Various groups have earlier criticized Comelec over its refusal to publicly disclose its preparations, such as the printing of ballots, the configuration of SD cards to be used by the vote-counting machines, and even the locations of its various technical support hubs in the country.
Last month, the NPC opposed the memorandum of agreement between Comelec and online news website Rappler on voter engagement and fighting disinformation in relation to the polls, citing the firm's "spotty record" in its reportage which resulted in legal woes it is currently facing.
The Comelec has suspended the pact with Rappler after the Office of the Solicitor General asked the high court to nullify it.
Full transparency assured
Comelec chairperson Saidamen Pangarungan, meanwhile, assured that the poll body under his leadership is fully committed to full and complete transparency of the entire election process.
“This is why, after I assumed as Chairman, I ordered the persons involved in the preparations to allow observers, watchers, and live streaming of all the activities without however compromising the security of accountable documents as well as the Comelec system,” Pangarungan said in a statement.
He said they have opened for public viewing the Sta. Rosa Comelec warehouse in Laguna where the SD cards are being configured and the NPO where the official ballots are being printed to different stakeholders including but not limited to political parties and the media.
“Tomorrow, March 24, 2022, we are going to the National Printing Office again and the Pasig warehouse together with our stakeholders for the random sampling and inspection of printed official ballots,” he added. (Benjamin Pulta and Ferdinand Patinio)
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