Do we trust the PCOS?
Happy Easter to all.
Today is the greatest event in the Catholic Calendar, the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ who sacrificed and died for the salvation of sins. Let us rejoice as we welcome Jesus Christ into our world as a reminder that he died to save people from damnation.
Many of the faithful think of Holy Week as vacation time instead of spending time in prayer and meditation. Many go to the beach or go home to the province for a family reunion although many still observe religious traditions.
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What is happening to the recount of ballots in Compostela town is a revelation especially with the May 13 election near. In the recount, former Mayor Ritchie Wagas is leading over Mayor Joel Quiño which poses contrary results to the tally from the PCOS machine in the 2010 election.
This could cast doubt over the integrity and credibility of the PCOS machine that will be used again in May. It’s reasonable to demand that the Comelec re-examine the use of the PCOS machine.
Political parties like the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) and even the Liberal Party (LP) should be vigilant given this development. With more reason candidates and political parties should be more vigilant in safeguarding their votes.
With the Comelec pressured to assure the PCOs machine is foolproof for use in the May 2013 election, the poll body should explain how this Compostela experience is happening especially after Comelec chairman Sixto Brilliantes assured that the optical scanner can’t be manipulated by unscrupulous parties to cheat.
I think political parties should tap IT experts to look into this. The Compostela experience should open the Comelec to more stringent scrutiny. We shouldn’t be complacent about 100 percent reliability of the PCOS machine and should learn from this.
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The campaign period for congressional and local elections officially started on March 29 so we shouldn’t be surprised to see political parties and their candidates hitting the trail like there’s no tomorrow.
In both Cebu city and province, the seats are hotly contested. It’s Team Rama versus the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) in the city and for the province, the main battle is between One Cebu and Liberal Party.
I expect results will show wins with slight margins with the incumbents enjoying a precarious edge.
Good luck to all candidates and we hope the parties don’t employ vote buying and manipulating of the PCOS machine.
We also pray that voters won’t allow themselves to be bought by corrupt parties who aim to win the election at all costs
Let us all pray that the May 13 polls are peaceful and orderly, that we will no longer experience the bedlam of the 2010 election where many failed to vote because they were discouraged by long lines at the election precinct. God bless the Philippines.
