Namfrel accreditation in May polls pushed
“Namfrel with its experience in holding quick count in manual polls would help Comelec in ensuring the transparency and accuracy of the results of the May 10 automated polls,” said Ramon Caspile, chairman of Bantay Eleksyon 2010.
Casiple said they were “monitoring negotiations” between Namfrel and the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) for the sharing of the fourth copy of the election returns (ERs) “so that Namfrel can make [a] parallel count.”
But Casiple said that even if there would be no agreement, “Namfrel would still have the financial resources to do it [parallel count].”
“The parallel count will provide an independent count because right now, the law provides for a random manual audit that would direct the comparison of the votes in a ballot of selected poling precincts against the PCOS count, it would be done so that there is assurance that what is being reported and transmitted to the canvassing centers is actually the contents of the ballots,” he said.
Under Section 24 of Republic Act 9369 or the poll automation law, “there shall be a random manual audit in one precinct per congressional district randomly chosen by Comelec in each province and city. Any difference between the automated and manual count will result in the determination of root cause and initiate a manual count for those precincts affected by the computer or procedural error.”
Casiple added that an additional 2,000 precincts to be selected by PPCRV and Comelec would be included in the manual count after proclamation of results.
He said that with less than a month before election day, the Comelec has not yet released the guidelines for the random manual audit.
Casiple also criticized the Comelec for denying their proposal to put up large projectors in canvassing centers in all municipalities and provinces to allow the public to view the process, which was being done during manual polls.
“At the end of the day, it will all boil down to credibility issue and to the transparency of the results of this coming election,” said Casiple.
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