eCOMELEC

COMELEC Commissioner Rene Sarmiento, Chairman Jose Melo and Robin Padilla

Amid talks of a looming postponement of the 11 August 2008 automated elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), a confident Commission on Elections Chairman Jose A.R. Melo appeared before members of the media this afternoon to announce that the “automation of the ARMM elections is on.”

“Itutuloy-tuloy na natin ito. At sa aking palagay, there will be no postponement of the ARMM elections,” the COMELEC chief declared, eliciting a loud applause from a packed session hall at the poll body’s main office in Manila.

Chairman Melo was speaking at a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signing between the COMELEC and technology provider Avante International Technology Inc. for the conduct of a massive voter education drive in the ARMM in line with the regional polls next month. Actor Robin Padilla, a renowned peace advocate and election automation supporter, was there to witness the signing. Also present are Senator Richard Gordon and PPCRV President Henrietta de Villa.

Padilla: Abante ARMM!

“Sana po huwag na,” Padilla said when asked by reporters to react on the possible deferment of the ARMM polls. “Kailangan na po ito ngayon na. Kasi kung atras-abante po tayo, ay puro kalungkutan ang mangyayari. Abante na tayo, wala nang atras!”

Abante ARMM!

“Atin pong suportahan ang otomasyon ng eleksyon, dahil naniniwala po ako na dito mag-uumpisa ang tunay na progreso ng bansa. Sa pamamagitan din ng otomasyon, magaganap na po ang sinasabi nating progreso at kapayapaan sa Mindanao,” the popular actor said.

Senator Gordon for his part said that with the upcoming automated ARMM elections, the country “is now on the eve of electoral greatness.”

“Because hopefully our democracy will speak the truth, and it will speak fast and efficiently… We’ll see the end to transactions in our politics, transactions in our elections, transactions in our count,” he said.

“Sa ngayon po, mayroon tayong Commission on Elections that we can be very proud of – may bagong mukha na sa eleksyon, para bang bagong hilamos ika nga,” said de Villa who heads one of the poll body’s accredited citizens arm, PPCRV.

After the MOA signing, the COMELEC Commissioners together with Sen. Gordon and PPCRV President de Villa, proceeded to witness the final canvassing and consolidation of the Maguindanao mock election results. Smartmatic-Sahi Spokesman Vince Dizon reported that “in less than an hour, all election results from Maguindanao have been electronically transmitted.” ###

Despite the discovery of an abandoned explosive-rigged motorcycle in the Province of Maguindanao Tuesday afternoon, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) announced that the synchronized mock elections held today in 11 polling places in the province proceeded without incident.

“The mock polls in Maguindanao opened at exactly 8:00 this morning and an hour later, the results have been electronically beamed for canvassing and consolidation,” said COMELEC spokesman James Jimenez.

He said, a total of 564 voters participated in the mock exercise and that as of 10:03 AM, the transmission of the Maguindanao mock election results were either 100% complete or in the process of completion in the municipalities of Ampatuan, Datu Anggal, Datu Piglas, Datu Piang, Datu Unsay, Guindulungan, Pagagawan, Shariff Aguak, Datu Saudi Ampatuan and Talayan.

“Our people in the field have reported to us that the mock balloting in Maguindanao went smoothly and that the voters showed no signs of difficulty in their voting. Apparently, the detection of a motorcycle bomb didn’t deter the voters there from participating in the mock polls” he said.

The mock elections in Maguindanao, Jimenez said, were originally scheduled July 22, but had to be called off in deference to President Gloria Arroyo’s visit that day to the flood affected areas in the province.

A total of 245,415 registered voters in Maguindanao are expected to cast their votes in the 11 August 2008 automated elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). ###