“Don’t connect to the Internet!”
AS the country prepares to go to the polls next week, mistrust of the election system continues to be felt by most. After all, the charges of cheating involving Smartmatic were never resolved and the Comelec officials who governed were never held accountable.
Not a few have come forward to denounce the time gaps in Comelec’s receipt of election returns from provinces, and which gaps showed uniform percentage increases in votes benefiting specific candidates, particularly in 2001 elections
Unfortunately, these de facto complaints could not specifically cite when, where, and how the ‘glitches’ occurred. This inability of the tech experts to pinpoint how these happened at the time compelled the acceptance of the obviously manipulated results.
Will our votes be counted accurately this time?
Yes. There is a good chance our votes in Pangasinan can be correctly counted after Atty Hary Respicio, a techo-computer-accounting expert pointed out last March 4 to the Comelec: Where, when and how the cheating can occur even before we go to the polls.
He declared that the critical phase is when the automated counting machines should not be connected to the internet.
His declaration was met by Comelec not only with a dismissive, contemptuous position but charged him in court for cyber-libel for attempting to sabotage the election system. To Atty. Respicio’s credit, he kept on, insisting on his authority and experience that an early connection to the internet before the election returns are printed creates the opportunity for hackers to change election results.
Fortunately, Comelec Commissioner George Garcia relented and prescribed the new procedure recommended by Atty. Respicio. It means that the Board of Canvassers has been directed not to connect the ACMs to the internet at all on election day until votes are counted and printed.
However, since this new procedure may still not be complied with for any reason, it is important for voters, watchers to remind members of Board of Canvassers of this rule and to check that the ACMs are not connected to the internet during the voting.
Every voter’s battle cry: NO ACM SHOULD BE CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET UNTIL AFTER THE RESULTS OF THE LOCAL COUNTED VOTES ARE PRINTED, READY FOR TRANSMITTAL.
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