Imee: Where are the digital signatures you promised?
IMEE: WHERE ARE THE DIGITAL SIGNATURES YOU PROMISED?
Senator Imee Marcos has revealed that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) was reducing the number of digital signatures needed to ensure that the May 9 election results are authentic.
Marcos cited a Comelec memorandum dated February 18 that assigns only 106,174 digital signatures for teachers who will head the electoral boards and only 38,739 for those who will be members.
The digital signatures for electoral board members will be limited to the National Capital Region (31,614), Cebu City (2,892), and Davao City (4,233).
"Rampant cheating usually occurs in rural, island, and other remote areas. The lack of digital signatures at the precinct level will set up the elections for public distrust, even failure," the Senate electoral reforms and people's participation committee chairman said.
Section 18 of the Election Automation Law or Republic Act (RA) 8436, amended by RA 9369, provides: "The election returns transmitted electronically and digitally signed shall be considered as official election results and shall be used as the basis for the canvassing of votes and the proclamation of a candidate."
Besides the law's mandate, Marcos added that commitments to provide complete digital signatures for the May 9 elections were made by the Comelec, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Department of Education (DepEd), and the Department of Science and Technology during Senate hearings in May and June 2021.
Downscaling digital security measures on Election Day is "cause for further alarm," Marcos said, after a Senate hearing she called on Wednesday bared that the Comelec blocked independent observers from monitoring the configuration of SD cards for vote counting machines and that the National Printing Office churned out voter's ballots in similar secrecy.
The Comelec said attaining the ideal number of digital signatures was constrained by three failed biddings for cables matching the microchip mechanism called i-Buttons that are needed to activate vote counting machines.
"Has the Comelec tried China or Shopee?" an exasperated Marcos quipped.
"We should, in fact, be assigning more digital signatures as we increase the number of precincts for social distancing amid the pandemic," Marcos said.
The Comelec plans to increase the number of clustered precincts to at least 100,000, from the 85,769 comprising 389,703 established precincts during the 2019 elections.
"We're not yet counting digital signatures for each Board of Canvassers at the municipal level," Marcos pointed out.
As of Thursday, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has already provided about 296,000 digital signatures for teachers but Comelec has yet to complete the vetting process for those who will serve as election inspectors.
According to the DICT, producing digital signatures was done at random until late February when the Comelec started to submit the names of teachers who will serve on the electoral boards.
The DepEd told Marcos's office that they had submitted a list of about 300,000 teachers to the Comelec at the end of January. (30)
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(Tagalog Version)
IMEE: NASAAN NA ANG IPINANGAKONG MGA DIGITAL SIGNATURE?
Ibinulgar ni Senador Imee Marcos na tatapyasan ng Commission on Elections (Comelec) ang mga digital signature na kailangan para masigurong tunay o totoo ang resulta ng eleksyon sa Mayo 9.
Tinutukoy ni Marcos ang memorandum ng Comelec noong Pebrero 18 kung saan tanging nasa 106,174 lang ang mga digital signature na inilaan para sa mga guro na mamumuno sa electoral board habang nasa 38,739 lang ang para sa mga miyembro.
Nabatid na lilimitahan lang ang mga digital signature para sa mga miyembro ng electoral board sa National Capital Region na nasa 31,614, sa Cebu City na nasa 2,892 at Davao City na nasa 4,233.
"Kadalasang nangyayari ang malawakang dayaan sa mga probinsya, mga isla, at malalayong mga lugar. Ang kawalan ng mga digital signature sa mga voting precinct ang magdudulot ng kawalang tiwala ng publiko o magiging sanhi ng pagkabigo ng eleksyon," diin ng chairman ng Senate committee on electoral reforms and people's participation.
Base sa Section 18 ng Election Automation Law o Republic Act (RA) 8436, na naamyendahan ng RA 9369, ang mga election returns na ipinadala "electronically" at may digital na lagda ay ikokonsiderang opisyal na resulta ng eleksyon at gagamiting batayan para sa bilangan ng boto at proklamasyon ng isang kandidato.
Bukod sa mandato ng batas, sinabi pa ni Marcos na una nang ipinangako ng Comelec, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Department of Education (DepEd), at Department of Science and Technology (DOST) na magbibigay sila ng kumpletong mga digital signature noong kasagsagan ng pagdinig ng Senado noong Mayo at Hunyo taong 2021.
Dagdag ni Marcos na maliban sa nakakaalarmang pagbabawas ng mga kaukulang 'digital security measure' sa araw ng halalan, lumitaw na hinarang ng Comelec ang mga independent na mga observer na saksihan ang pagpoproseso ng mga SD card para sa mga vote counting machine at ang pasikretong pag-iimprenta ng mga balota sa National Printing Office.
Ani Comelec, binawasan nila ang kinakailangang dami ng mga digital signature matapos umanong mabigo ang tatlong bidding o 'tawaran' para sa kable na tugma sa mga mekanismong tinatawag na iButtons na kailangan para mapagana ang mga vote counting machine.
"Sinubukan na ba ng Comelec na kumuha sa China o Shopee?" patutsada pa ni Marcos.
"Kung tutuusin, dapat magkaroon ng mas maraming digital signature habang pinararami ang mga voting precinct para masiguro ang social distancing ngayong may pandemya pa," diin ni Marcos.
Plano umano ng Comelec na dagdagan ang mga 'clustered' o kumpol-kumpol na mga voting precinct ng hanggang 100,000 mula sa 85,769 na binubuo ng 389,703 na mga naitatag nang presinto sa panahon ng eleksyon noong 2019.
"Hindi pa natin binibilang ang mga digital signature sa bawat Board of Canvasser ng mga munisipalidad," banggit pa ni Marcos.
Noong Huwebes, nakapagbigay na ang Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) ng 296,000 digital signatures para sa mga guro pero hindi pa nakukumpleto ng Comelec ang proseso ng pagsusuri para sa mga magsisilbing mga election inspector, at nariyan pa ang pagsusulit ng DOST para sa kanila.
Ayon sa DICT, tsambahan ang paggawa ng mga digital signature hanggang huling bahagi ng Pebrero mula nang simulan ng Comelec ang pagsusumite ng mga pangalan ng mga gurong magsisilbi sa mga electoral board. Ipinarating naman ng DepEd sa tanggapan ni Marcos na nakapagsumite na sila ng listahan ng nasa mga 300,000 na mga guro sa Comelec noong katapusan ng Enero.
