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Ni ROMEO ALLAN BUTUYAN II
PARA kay Sagip partylist Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, hindi na dapat bumalik ang bansa sa madilim na kabanata ng kasaysayan, partikular sa pagdaraos ng mga halalan.
Partikular na tinukoy ni Marcoleta na tumatayong vice-chairman ng House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability ang sistemang gagamitin ng South Korean firm Miru Systems Co. Ltd. sa nalalapit na 2025 midterm elections.
Tulad ng iba pang mambabatas, duda rin si Marcoleta tinawag niyang two-systems-in-one na kombinasyon ng Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) at Optical Mark Reader (OMR) para sa gagamiting automated counting machines.
“This so-called two-systems-in-one that Miru wants to roll-out for the 2025 polls has never been used elsewhere in the world,” wika ni Marcoleta.
“Under our Automated Election Law, Miru has to first prove that this hybrid system has been tested in other jurisdictions. To my recollection, reports showed that Miru had used these two systems, but separately,” dugtong ng ranking House official.
Ayon kay Marcoleta, ang DRE system ay dati nang ginamit sa Congo kung saan 45 percent ng voting stations sa naturang bansa ang nakaranas di umano ng iba’t-ibang problema habang ang OMR na ginamit naman sa Iraq ay nagkaroon din ng kabi-kabilang aberya at technical issues sa 70% ng mga voting stations.
Giit ng SAGIP partylist solon, hindi pa nagamit at hindi rin nasubukan kahit saan lugar ang kombinasyon ng naturang dalawang sistema.
“So if we allow Miru to apply the two systems (in-one) without showing that this has been tested anywhere, there will be a clear violation of the Automated Election Law,” babala ni Marcoleta.
“Miru’s plan to tap both DRE and OMR machines in next year’s elections is a very important matter that will also, or must also be addressed by the committee in the most urgent time,” sabi pa ng mambabatas, kasabay ng mungkahi sa Kamara na ipagpatuloy ang Congressional inquiry hinggil sa pagkakaloob ng kontrata ng Commission on Elections (Comelec) sa naturang South Korean firm.
Paalala pa ni Marcoleta, noong nakaraan ay pinawalang-saysay ng Supreme Court (SC) ang Comelec resolution na nagdidiskwalipika sa Smartmatic sa isinagawang bidding ng poll body para sa automated elections supplier. Ang Smartmatic ang services provider sa mga halalan sa bansa sa pagitan ng mga halalang idinaos mula 2010 hanggang 2022.
“The Supreme Court nullified the [Comelec] resolution because it was committed with grave abuse of discretion. Yet, the bidding was not nullified — so there’s inconsistency,” ani Marcoleta.
“Smartmatic was disqualified even before it was able to submit its bid; even the legal requirements were not considered. So there’s a violation” on the part of the Comelec, t” sabi pa niya.
“The Supreme Court used the doctrine of operative fact, which will only apply if there is good faith. So the Comelec should establish that there is good faith,” pagtatapos ni Marcoleta.
