11/05/2009
Even in encoding names on the voters’ list, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) comes up with computer errors.It makes voters wonder whether the Comelec is capable of conducting nationwide automated polls, without mistakes, deliberate or accidental.
There were nearly 700 centenarians that were found still listed in the 2007 voters record in Taguig, but the Comelec’s lame excuse is that this was likely due to an encoding or computer error.
According to Comelec spokesman James Jimenez, the poll body is now investigating the matter but he said it is still possible it may be due to a computer or encoding error.
“It could be anything from a computer error or possibly an encoding error. But it doesn’t look malicious right now,” he said at a press briefing.
“You can see that the (100-year-old voters) have a common birth date and it is listed as Jan. 1, 1901. It’s 111. So it really looks like it is a computer error,” added Jimenez.
Jimenez said Comelec personnel are now checking if these people really look more than 100 years old in order to determine if this case is one of computer error.
“What we need to do is to find out if these people actually
look like they are over 100-years old. If they don’t look like they are 100-years old then obviously something is wrong. But either way we are already looking into the problem,” Jimenez said.
Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal, for his part, urged those who may have similar complaints to bring them to the attention of the election registration board (ERB).
“There’s a hearing of the ERB on Nov. 16. You can complain before the ERB and you can question there the application or registration,” he said.
Former Akbayan Rep. Loretta Rosales petitioned the Comelec and revealed there are at least 691 voters who are more than 100-years old in Taguig. Six hundred twenty four of whom were born in 1901 while 621 were born on Jan. 1.
Meanwhile, Taguig Mayor Sidfrido Tinga expressed alarm over this development and asked the poll body to immediately act on the reported 691 listed voters who are found to be over 100 years old and are still on the active list even even they may be dead.
This was a discovery reported by the Institute for Political Reform (IPER) when it formed an investigation on the Taguig Comelec records where these were recorded.
According to Tinga, he had dispatched his men to look into the said irregularities and if found true, a thorough verification is called for, saying that they will immediately initiate a formal complaint at the Comelec to nullify the registration of the so called g centennial votersh.
The Taguig local government the other day (Monday ) accompanied representatives of IPER and members of the media to the house of Rosalyn Ricafort Galvez, who based from the records of the Comelec is now 127 years old with a given address at Block 32 Lot 47 Sunflower St., Bicutan. The same centenarian was nowhere to be found.
Another voter identified as Belinda Sala of 21-D Ambal St., Western Bicutan who on record was born on Jan. 1, 1901, was discovered to be 40 years old and had transferred to Pasig City just a few years ago.
Through the expose made by Rosales, it appears that of total 691 centennial voters 624 of it were born on 1901 and 621 were born on the same date of Jan. 1,1901.
The Taguig Comelec officials clarified that there could have been a computer malfunction while others who have registered failed to fill up the space on their date of birth which explain why there the the same dates of births entered in the computer.
Tinga said the explanation given by the Taguig Comelec officials is unacceptable, stating that the Comelec should not register these registrants if they do not fill up with complete information their personal data in the application forms. With Pat C. Santos
Source: http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/20091105hed5.html
No comments:
Post a Comment