Gordon warns vs. absence of source code again in 2016
FORMER Senator Richard Gordon who singlehandedly authored the automated election law when he was a senator, bewailed the absence of source code since its implementation in the election in 2010.
Under the law, he said, the poll body must show source code three months before the election.
Gordon said he went to court for this in 2010 but the Supreme Court, he said, has not decided on the issue till today.
He said the leasing of the source code to another company by Smartmatic is a violation to the automated election law that he authored when it leased its source code to another company.
He warned that unless the Commission on Elections correct the irregularity, suspicions about cheating will remain high.
Meanwhile, Gordon, who is running for senator under his own party Bagumbayan, challenged television and radio stations to sponsor public debates for candidates to afford all the electorate the chance to know their plans and programs and prove to the people that they are qualified to seek the elective posts.
Speaking to local newsmen last week, Gordon, chairman of the Philippine Red Cross, said it is only through public debates that the people can find out if the candidate are fit to assume the position that they seek through their answers to questions that may be posed to them by their fellow candidates and the people.
Gordon said some candidates merely rely on surveys and advertising in a bid to boost their popularity but these cost a lot, the elected official end up creating opportunities to recover his expenses while in government.
He said TV advertising costs as much as P89,000 per second.
In a political debate forum, the poor candidates will have a chance to explain their program and comment on running issues.
“It’s time we educate the public. If we fail to educate the public, we may again elect the popular candidates who are not suitable and the people will again lose,” said Gordon, who is included in the senatorial slates of Senator Grace Poe and Vice President Jejomar Binay
Gordon said he wants to return to the Senate to enact new electoral reforms and to help the country be the best in Asia in terms of education for the country to really move forward, adding that P18,000 monthly salary Filipino teachers is much too low as compared to those in China, Malaysia and Singapore. (Leonardo Micua)
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