Namfrel questions ‘discrepancies’ between automated system, random manual audit

MANILA, Philippines – Even before the 2013 elections are over, the National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) is proposing changing the local contractor that paved the way for the automation of the polls in 2010 and now, 2013.

In a media briefing Tuesday, Namfrel questioned the Automated Election System (AES), which Smartmatic Inc. negotiated with the US-based Dominion Voting that allowed the use of precinct count optical scans (PCOS) machines in canvassing the results.

Namfrel noted “significant” differences, especially in the local level, between the AES and the Random Manual Audit (RMA), which the poll watchdog is using for its own tally.

At the same time, however, Namfrel clarified that it wasn’t “questioning the data but the canvassing”.

Namfrel officials said the “significant” differences were “more evident” in the local than in the national level, citing alleged “discrepancies” in the municipality of Aborlan in Palawan where mayoral candidate Jaime Ortega garnered 104 votes under the AES and 109 in the manual audit for a “significant five-vote variance.”  Meanwhile, Ortega’s opponent, Bobby Peneyra, had a two-point difference in the results of his tally on the AES and RMA.

Namfrel said there may be a need to shift to another contractor to lessen the risk of questionable results brought about by discrepancies in the AES and RMA. Vanessa Marayan