Modernizing Philippine Elections
by Gus Lagman

Historical Background

Former COMELEC Chairman Christian Monsod started the modernization process in 1993 when he had PCs installed in all COMELEC offices nationwide. Using these PCs, the COMELEC registrars were able to create a database of all the voters (Computerized Voters List or CVL) in their respective localities. That project facilitated updating and the production of multiple copies of the voters list.

Chairman Monsod also asked the Philippine Computer Society (PCS) to help study the various systems that the COMELEC might use to automate the voting, counting and canvassing processes. The PCS worked with Marie Garber, a foreign expert on election systems. Her services did not cost the country any, as it was funded by the UNDP, which wanted to use the Philippines as the model for the modernization of a country's election system. The PCS also sought the assistance of Andersen Consulting, a multinational firm with access to information about electoral processes all over the world. The firm developed the Information Systems Plan (ISP) for the COMELEC and then sent a consultant to the US (Bal Endriga), accompanied by four officials of the COMELEC (Commissioner R. Maambong, Directors M. Aguam, E. Herrera and A. Sta. Rosa), to visit the short-listed manufacturers of election equipment. And, on the basis of their study and that observation trip, the group made and submitted their recommendations.

In 1995, R.A. 8046 was passed, authorizing the use of counting machines in the ARMM elections of 1996. The brand chosen was that recommended in the study. The law, however, specified that this was to be only on a pilot run basis. Despite all the problems that were encountered during that run --- some because of the environment, some because of inadequate features of the machines --- the project was, nonetheless, successful enough to be pursued on an expanded scale. Recommendations were made with respect to additional features that the manufacturers should incorporate into the machine.

After a review by both houses of Congress, very much delayed as it was, R.A. 8436 was finally signed into law on December 22, 1997. The law is basically --- An Act Authorizing the Commission on Elections to Use an Automated Election System in the May 11, 1998 National or Local Elections and In Subsequent National and Local Electoral Exercises, Providing Funds Therefor and For Other Purposes.

Notice that the law mandates the COMELEC to expand the coverage of the computerization nationwide ... starting with the May, 1998 elections. It also created an Advisory Council and a Technical Ad Hoc Committee to take charge of the planning and to monitor its implementation. The enactment of the law was so delayed, however, that despite the speed by which the bidding, presentations, demonstrations and evaluation were conducted by the COMELEC, in January, 1998, it had to decide that, for lack of time, the computerization of the election would have to be postponed.

Shortly after former Chairman Harriet Demetriou was installed, NAMFREL met with her to update her on the automation program of the COMELEC. In February, 2000, realizing that the COMELEC had not progressed much on the project, NAMFREL again initiated moves to lobby for it. By September, 2000, nothing much had moved either. In a forum organized by the Bishops-Businessmen's Conference (BBC), the matter of automating the elections was again discussed publicly.

Still nothing happened. Months later, the computerization of the May, 2001 elections was junked --- again using the reason that there wasn't enough time to implement it.

Credit for delaying the implementation of the computerization of the May, 2001 elections must go to one and only one person --- and that's Commissioner Luz Tancangco! One person has succeeded in holding the improvement of our election system hostage. Being Chairman of the COMELEC's Modernization Committee, she had almost three years to implement the law ... but she did not. And so we saw once again the old dirty tricks in the last election. And up till the end of June, more than six weeks(!)after the elections, the final, complete results of the senatorial fight was still to be resolved. Why 35 million voters can allow this anomaly is a wonder by itself.

But let's backtrack and address the question --- Why should we automate the election system?

Next: Why Automate?

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