Namfrel awaits Comelec accreditation of ‘Open Election Data’ project

MANILA, Philippines—With the May elections less than three weeks away, the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) said it has yet to receive accreditation from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) of its Open Election Data project.

The election watchdog, in a press briefing Thursday in Makati City, said Comelec has already given its nod for Namfrel to act as a civil society participant in the Random Manual Audit and to monitor the automated election system.

However, the poll body has yet to act on Namfrel’s request to establish and maintain an Open Election Data Website, where transmission and tabulation of election results will be monitored in an “almost real-time” update, the Namfrel said.

“We don’t know the reason for the delay of the accreditation,” said Namfrel national treasurer Lito Aviera, who conceptualized the idea of putting up an open data website for the election results.

Aviera noted that what they received was just a “partial accreditation,” citing Comelec’s Minute Resolution No. 19-050351 dated March 29, 2019.

He added the website would focus entirely on election data which, he said, could be beneficial for the voters and the Comelec as well.

With the May elections just 18 days away, Namfrel said it will continue to push for the open data website project and compel Comelec to grant them access to election data.

“We’re still pushing. I’m makulit about the data so we can provide assistance to the Comelec to really make an informed assessment on how the automated system performs,” Aviera said. /muf

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