THE PHILIPPINE STAR
neuts MONDAY
3y PAOLO RoMERQ
.
The Joint Congressional. The JCOC-AES, chaired
)versight Committee on the by Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III
\utomated Election System and CIBAC Party-list ReP.
JCOC-AES) will conduct an. Sherwin Tugna, will look into
nquiry tomorrow into the vot-
ng and transmission gliiches
hat occurred during the MaY
[3 elections.
The panel's review will
:ome after President Duterte
rarlier asked the Commission
rn Elections (Comelec) to look
:or a replacement for Smart-
natic, the service provider for
:he country's automated Polls
;ince 2010.
Smartmatic, the world's
iargest elections technology
:ompany, however, had a
nuch-reduced role in the last
I JUNE 3, 2019
source code reviewets. fully supportive of electoral support his candidates," Pan- been curtailed.
polls, Comelec officials earlier
Pimentel earlier lamented reforms but listed several ques- gilinan said. Comelec also did not give
stressed.
the glitches still occurred de- tionable acts from the Comelec He recalled the Comelec the LP access to their mirror
and Duterte himself that need denied the LP's request that servers despite the party being
spite assurances from Comelec
officials, who were given a to be addressed. it conduct a debate during a major national political Party,
budget of over Pldbillion for He cited the administra- the campaign period so that Pangilinan said.
tion candidates"'baref aced voters are able to know more The Comelec also did not
the glitches that rnarred some the conduct of polls alone.
He said the Philippines is violation of election laws about all candidatesi qualifi- give the LP the complete list
of the voting in many Polling
precincts as well as the seven- one of the few countries in on billboards, posters, and cations. of precincts and areas where
theie were reported defec-
hour delay in the transmission the world that has a dedicated use of government resources The poll body also named
government aSen$' tasked to and facilities during the the Nacionalista Pady, which is tive vote counting machines
of election retums.
with the maiority as the (VCMs) and corrupted SD
The panel will also inves- administer the elections. campaign." hllied
tigate the thousands of de- Sen. Francis Pangilinan Pa n gilina n described "dominant minority," which cards even though the PartY
requested the same a number
fective SD cards, which were Iast week said officials of the Malacaffang's release of a Pangilinan said is contrary
"baseless narcolist" as "a bla- to the country's laws, com- of times during canvassing,
tagged as the main culPrit Comelec and the Dutdrte ad-
of the glitches, reportedly ministration must alsobe held tant intimidation and threat of mon sense and the Spirit o{ he said.
democrary Pangilinan said hundreds
supplied by S1-Silicon ValleY accountable for various viola- ourlocal politicians all over the
The senator said there are of VCMs either malfunctioned
comPany. tions of the law in connection country."
"Many times the President many reports of unmailed or were defective in an elec-
It will review the report of with the recently concluded
technical working grouP po1ls. thieatened local politicians ballots for overseas FiliPinos tion where vote buying was
its
Pangilinan, president of the that he will put on hold their workers, whose rights to par- rampant and which practics
on various election-related is-
sues, and the report of the local Liberal Party (LP), said he is prorects if they would not ticipate in the election had Dutede called "normal "
' pAqe -bo