DATE:
November 4,
2002
PUBLICATION:
Malaya
TITLE: Voting
Machines
AUTHOR: Ducky
Paredes
" There is presently a system being
suggested by Pinoy computer experts to the Commission on Elections which would
make it easy to computerize everything about our elections. "
EVERY voter deserves to have confidence that the system is fair and
elections are honest. Towards this end, US Government will spend $3.9 billion
over the next three years to update their election equipment and train poll
workers.
President George W. Bush who was elected probably because of
anomalies in the system, said, on signing the legislation into law: "Every
registered voter deserves to have confidence that the system is fair and
elections are honest, that every vote is recorded and that the rules are
consistently applied."
What marred Dubya's election were confusing ballots, changes between
sample ballots and actual ballots, reports of intimidation and the infamous
hanging, dangling and pregnant chads resulting from antiquated punch-card and
mechanical lever voting systems that all worked in his
favor.
What is
unsettling to us in the Philippines is that the
best that those who, like Namfrel, are pushing for the computerization of
elections, can suggest is the purchase of voting machines. These are the same
voting machines that do not work well enough and which caused the electoral
anomaly in Florida in their last
election.
There is
presently a system being suggested by Pinoy computer experts to the Commission
on Elections which would make it easy to computerize everything about our
elections from registration to voting to counting. The same system could even be
used and connected to the system through the Internet so that every absentee
voting polling place abroad would be part of the same system that we are using
in the Philippines.
Hopefully, we can modernize and computerize our elections. It will be
at a very affordable cost and it will work if the simple and easy system that is
being proposed by Pinoys to the Comelec will be
accepted.
What works against the proposed system is that the Namfrel people who
made so much money selling the Comelec counting machines that worked only for
one election and then conked out will not be part of the present deal.
Definitely, they will be against a system that will work without their
participation.
***
I was in
Marikina
River
Park last week,
curious about a Tap Dancing Contest that was staged by the City Health
Department on a floating stage in the middle of the river. What amazed me was
the enthusiasm of the crowd. It helped that the participants came from public
and private schools. Thus, the enthusiasm was at the level of a hotly contested
basketball championship.
I was also
amazed that there were so many people both at the
River
Park and the
Riverbank (the former U-tex compound), which has a mall and restaurants and
bars, so late at night. There is a virtual night market and some very good
restaurants on the banks of the Marikina
River. I am told
that the practically standing-room-only crowd is something that goes on nightly
even when there is no special occasion. The
Marikina
River has become a
tourist attraction for the urban traveler.
The best way
to go is to park at the Riverbank (where there is ample parking space), take the
river taxi to the River
Park and go back
the same way. Parking along the narrow streets that lead into the
River
Park is not
recommended. There are just so many spaces for parking and they could all have
been taken by the time you get there.
Marikina is
celebrating the Sapatero Festival until the end of November. If you have not
been to Marikina for some
time, I suggest you take the time to visit during the month. Who knows that you
might even be able to pick up a bargain or two in the night
market.
***
Labor Relations Week starts today under the auspices of the National
Labor Relations Commission (NLRC). Commis-sioner Roy V. Seņeres of the NLRC
notes that this is being celebrated in a time of relative industrial peace,
which he attributes to the successful policy of mediation and conciliation of
labor cases that has been the hallmark of NLRC's modus operandi. Some 50 percent
of labor-management disputes brought to the NLRC have been settled amicably to
the satisfaction of both parties, according to the former
ambassador.
Seņeres disclosed that there has been a marked improvement in the
performance of his labor arbiters as shown by statistical data that the parties
concerned no longer appeal 20 percent of the cases they
decide.
In this year's celebration, the NLRC has done away with the
traditional games and sports fest during the weeklong celebration in compliance
with President Arroyo's directive to all government offices and agencies to
practice austerity.
Instead, the NLRC will conduct a series of dialogues and conferences
between repre-sentatives of labor and management, including local and national
government officials.
Says Roy Seņeres: "In these times of an economic crisis arising from
the unsettled world conditions, cooperation and understanding between management
and labor is crucial to keep the economy growing, lessen unemployment and
assuage poverty and unrest in our country."
***
The United
States National Security Entry Exit Registration System (NSEERS), which was
introduced on September 11,
2002, authorizes the United States Immigration and
Naturalization Service (INS) to keep track of the arrival and departure of
non-immigrants to the United
States who were born
in Iran,
Iraq,
Libya,
Sudan, or
Syria. Those who
were born in Pakistan,
Saudi
Arabia, or
Yemen are also
regarded suspiciously.
Because of
this, the Canadian Government has given out the following travel advisory: "The
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade advises Canadians who were
born in the above countries or who may be citizens of these countries to
consider carefully whether they should attempt to enter the
United
States for any
reason, including transit to or from third countries. In addition, all Canadians
should be aware that NSEERS activity by the Immigration and Natural-zation
Service may lead to delays at US immigration
checkpoints.
"Canadian
consular officials will respond to requests for assistance from all Canadians
who are detained or arrested under the NSEERS program or for other reasons by
the American authorities. While they are in the
United
States, however, all
such persons are subject to US laws and legal and administrative processes,
which may take several weeks or longer to
resolve."
Shouldn't the
Philippines, perhaps,
also issue a similar travel advisory?
Email
address: duckyparedes@yahoo.com
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