By Junex Doronio

MANILA — After South Korean firm Miru bagged the P18.8-billion FASTrAC project for the May 2025 automated elections, election watchdog Democracy Watch Philippines on Sunday expressed doubt on its credibility.

In a statement, Democracy Watch asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) if the prototype that Miru would use in the 2025 elections has been used before.

“Since the post-qualification evaluations began, Democracy Watch has repeatedly asked whether the same ACM has ever been deployed in an election, as required by law,” Democracy Watch convenor Lloyd Zaragoza said.

It can be recalled that following a unanimous vote, the Comelec has awarded to the joint venture led by Miru Systems of South Korea the P17.9-billion leasing contract for 110,000 automated counting machines (ACMs) that will be used in the 2025 mid-term polls.

On Wednesday (21 February 2024), the Comelec en banc awarded the contract to lone bidder Miru, which based on the contract will be tasked to provide 104,345 ballot boxes, 2,200 laptops and printers, the paper for printing 73,881,894 ballots, and a system for ballot verification.

However, Democracy Watch said that the issue of the South Korean firm’s credibility “remains unsettled by the unresolved questions surrounding Miru’s performance in other countries.”

(el Amigo/MNM)

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia (with microphone) conducted a press conference Friday at the Comelec main office in Intramuros for a final update on the recently concluded barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.

Addressing the concerns about sporadic incidents of violence during the BSKE,  Garcia emphasized that, on the whole, the recent election had transpired peacefully.

Earlier, the chairman said the canvassing and proclamation of BSKE winners in all of the 42,001 barangays nationwide were completed on Nov. 1 including all barangays in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

“The only remaining unproclaimed candidates were the ones ordered suspended by the Commission and (those in) areas where the electoral board availed itself of the five-day notice rule,” said Garcia.

“No failure of the election was declared anywhere,” he added.

Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos also said that all 19,000 barangay captains and 17,160 youth council winners have already been proclaimed.

(Benjamin Cuaresma/ai/mnm)

By Liezelle Soriano

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairperson George Garcia said that persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) may still run for office if there is no final conviction yet.

Garcia made the clarification after three PDLs won in the recently-concluded Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) 2023.

The Comelec chairperson cited the case of Aguinaldo v. Comelec in which the Supreme Court ruled that inmates have the right to vote and be voted as long as final judgment has not been made yet.

“Pinayagan natin sila makaboto sapagkat sabi po ng Korte Suprema doon sa kaso ng Aguinaldo versus Comelec at saka po [Bureau of Corrections], dahil hindi pa sila finally convicted, wala pang final judgment na sila ay guilty, therefore, meron pa silang karapatan bumoto at may karapatang maiboto. ‘Yun po ang kadahilanan kung bakit sila ay nakaboto at nakatakbo,” Garcia said in an interview with DZBB.

Garcia said PDLs are still not permitted to attend barangay halls in order to serve, even if they are permitted to seek office.

“Ngayon, paano sila magsisilbi? In the meantime, siguro naman po ay alam ng mga constituency nila na sila ay nasa kulungan… In the meantime, deprived of liberty po siya and very limited ang kaya at pwede lamang niyang gawin,” he said.

(ai/mnm)

By Junex Doronio

APPARENTLY WITNESSING THE DIFFICULTIES encountered by senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs) in voting on the recently-concluded Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE), House Deputy Majority Leader and ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo has called for separate voting precincts for them.

The number one “senatoriable” for 2025 made the appeal on Tuesday in a post on Facebook.

“Baka naman sa susunod na eleksyon, mga PWD at seniors sa ibang classrooms na lang bumoto -kawawa kasi sila,” Tulfo said.

Tulfo has consistently topped the surveys for probable winning senatorial bets in 2025.

The former secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) garnered 50% support from a total of 1,200 respondents polled between July 17 and 31 by Oculum Research and Analytics.

He topped a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey in April, Tangere in June, and OCTA Research in July.

Tulfo is also touted as the potential running mate of Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez if the latter decides to run for president in 2028.

(ai/mnm)

MANILA — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) revealed that a total of 19 election-related fatalities occurred in seven regions during the recently concluded 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (BSKE) elections.

According to data provided by the electoral commission, these incidents of election-related violence took place between August 28 and October 31.

Among these fatalities, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) experienced the highest number, with 11 deaths, 13 incidents, and 14 individuals injured.

Two fatalities were reported in each of Regions V (Bicol) and VII (Central Visayas), while one fatality occurred in each of the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR), Regions IX (Zamboanga Peninsula), IV-A (Calabarzon), and I (Ilocos).

Injured Teachers

In response to these incidents, Comelec Chairman George Garcia announced that the commission is prepared to provide hospital assistance of up to PHP200,000 to teachers who were injured while fulfilling their responsibilities as Election Boards (EBs).

“We will offer a maximum of PHP200,000 in hospital assistance to them,” Chairman Garcia stated during a press briefing.

Chairman Garcia noted that fewer than ten teachers sustained injuries, with causes ranging from snake bites and vehicular accidents to heart attacks.

Honoraria Distribution

Chairman Garcia further mentioned that the distribution of honoraria to teachers has commenced in Region 3 (Central Luzon). He assured that teachers across other parts of the country would receive their honoraria by the end of the week.

“They (teachers) will receive their honoraria by Friday, provided that the proclamations have been made,” the Chairman of the electoral commission affirmed.

(IA/mnm)