precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines used by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) still being questioned less than two years before the next national elections, Congress will be conducting a recount of the votes of three precincts to see if the system should be retained. Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, chairman of the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on the Automated Election System, said he would lead his colleagues in the Senate and the House of Representatives in supervising the recount of ballots of three precincts in Gapan, Nueva Ecija on Aug. 28. The Comelec offered to reopen the ballots in the three precincts in response to allegations from supporters of evangelist Bro. Eddie Villanueva, who ran and lost in the senatorial elections of 2013. Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. gave the oversight committee in its hearing yesterday his side on the claims of supporters of Villanueva, which appeared in the article of The STAR columnist Jarius Bondoc. Brillantes said he has responded to Bondoc to prove that there were no issues with the results of the voting in those three precincts. Bernardo Aranas and Arlan Esteban, supporters of Villanueva, filed a civil case in the Gapan regional trial court, not to protest the results of the senatorial election in the province, but to show discrepancies in the count in favor of the religious leader. Headlines ( Article sectionmatch: 1
MRec
),
pagematch:
1,
Brillantes noted Gapan RTC Judge Celso Baguio
ordered a physical count of the ballots in the three precincts, which showed a discrepancy of over 100 votes in one and seven each for the other two.
He pointed out the physical ballots could be
tampered, especially since the election took place over a year ago. Its over a year since election, why hasnt Brother Eddie filed a protest if he believes that he won. We could have opened these. Why is he complaining now and through an RTC judge through a civil case? Brillantes asked. If what theyre claiming is correct that the physical count made by the judge would prevail over the count of the PCOS then I will resign as chairman even today, he added. A motion to dismiss was filed by the Comelec based on the argument that the RTC in Gapan had no jurisdiction. Pimentel said the recount of the three precincts in Gapan during the next hearing of the joint oversight committee on Aug. 28 would present a clearer picture to the public on the accuracy of the PCOS machines. Once and for all the joint congressional oversight committee on the automated election system will be the one to conduct a recount because we have been hearing a lot of talk that the count of the PCOS machines is inaccurate, Pimentel said. So let us look at this because Bro. Eddie Villanueva was able to open three ballot boxes, which were recounted by the RTC so the congressional committee of the House and the Senate will do the counting so that we would know once and for all just how accurate are the PCOS machines because we are getting conflicting reports, he added. For 2015, the Comelec has a proposed budget of P16.8 billion, out of which P3.76 billion would be used to purchase 41,800 PCOS machines based on the briefing paper on the 2015 national budget submitted by the Department of Budget and Management.
For the two precincts where discrepancies of seven
votes each were recorded, Brillantes said he was sure that the people who counted the ballots included the over votes for Villanueva, which should not have been included in the first place.
The Comelec Advisory Council, led by Louis
Napoleon Casambre, has recommended the current system using the PCOS machines be used for the 2016 elections because it would be a more judicious use of public funds and the electorate already has experience with the system.
He explained that over votes consisted of ballots
that contained more than 12 votes for senators, which should not be counted and were not counted by the PCOS machines.
Casambre said though the Comelec should seriously
consider the use of multiple or mixed technologies to promote inter-operability and encourage innovative solutions.
For the other precincts where there were over 100
discrepancies recorded, Brillantes said he has not yet seen the records but believes the ballots were tampered. I am about to decrypt all this, but we are going to reset this so the public would see. When we decrypt this, my own feeling is that this precinct, where there was over 100 recovery by Villanueva, has been tampered. Physical ballots were tampered. We will see this in the decryption, Brillantes said.
Mix of old, new voting systems eyed for
2016 MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections yesterday welcomed the recommendation of the Comelec Advisory Council (CAC) to use mixed voting technologies in the 2016 presidential polls.
We welcome that and well be having a special en
banc meeting to discuss the recommendation, said Comelec Commissioner Lucenito Tagle. During the joint congressional oversight committee hearing on Thursday, CAC chair Louis Casambre announced the councils recommendation for the Comelec to reuse the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines in the coming elections. The CAC, however, proposed to the Comelec to also use other voting systems, like the direct-voting electronic technology, as long as they are compatible with the canvassing system.
problems in the countrys educational system are
resolved. Headlines ( Article sectionmatch: 1
MRec
),
pagematch:
1,
Under Republic Act 10533 or the K to 12 Basic
Education Program Law, the additional years in high school will serve as a specialization period for senior high school students (Grades 11 and 12) whether in vocational skills, music arts or sports.
The council also proposed that Comelec holds open
public bidding for the other technologies.
DepEd said it is addressing the prerequisites for
successful implementation of the succeeding stages, including the introduction of senior high school and the construction of around 30,000 new classrooms for Grades 11 and 12.
But Tagle said the Comelec would rather have a new
voting technology if it would be given sufficient budget.
Public and private colleges and universities have
also rejected Trillanes proposal to defer implementation of K to 12 program.
Headlines ( Article sectionmatch: 1
Jose Paulo Campos, president of the Philippine
Association of Private Schools, Colleges and Universities, said the delay in the implementation of the K to 12 program would only make the Philippines less competitive than other countries in Southeast Asia.
MRec
),
pagematch:
1,
We asked for P16 billion for new technology but the
DBM (Department of Budget and Management) said we can only have P10 billion. That would not be enough if we want to have new machines, new voting system, he noted. I think this will all depend on the budget that will be given to us, he added.
Noy urged to implementation
postpone
to
12
MANILA, Philippines - A group of parents yesterday
called on President Aquino to postpone the nationwide implementation of the enhanced Basic Education Program or K to 12 Law in 2016. Rey Vargas, founding chairman of the Parents for Childrens Education (PACE), also pushed for the review of the law, which adds two more years to the four-year high school curriculum. Majority of consultations were conducted with members of the academic community, such as school administrators and teachers. Public hearings, if there were, do not substantiate actual and realistic parental concerns, Vargas said. He also urged the government to ensure that academic institutions are prepared before it fully implements the senior high school program in June 2016. PACE will convene parents in a forum on Aug. 16 at the Malate Catholic School in Manila to discuss the K to 12 law and its impacts. Earlier, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV had also urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to suspend implementation of the K to 12 program until basic
Energy watch: No need for emergency
powers MANILA, Philippines - Government Watch led by industrialist Raul Concepcion is urging the government to implement other solutions to avert the looming power shortage next year instead of declaring a state of emergency in the power sector. While he recognized the power shortage that could cripple next years economic growth, Concepcion said there are other solutions the government can implement instead of invoking Section 71 of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPIRA), the landmark power reform law. Earlier, Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla proposed to invoke Section 71 of EPIRA, which would give the President emergency powers to address next years critical power supply. Under a state of emergency, the government would be able to rent bunker-fired power generators to provide additional power capacity. But instead of declaring a state of emergency, Concepcion said the government can conduct full and accurate auditing of existing power plants, carefully manage the scheduling of maintenance shutdown so that overlaps are avoided, conduct
inspections to see if these plants are being properly
maintained and impose heavy penalties on violators. The group also noted that power generators that exceed their outage allowances should be required to source power at contract cost, regardless of source, instead of passing through the higher cost from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), the countrys trading floor for electricity. They also urged the government to address permitting issues and other bureaucratic impediments, so that new power plants come online as scheduled. Furthermore, the group said the government should fast-track the rehabilitation of one unit or 300 megawatts of the Malaya Thermal Power plant in Rizal in time for summer 2015 and facilitate the entry of the 100 MW Avion natural gas plant of First Gen Corp. to early March instead of April 2015. The government should also continue to implement the interruptible load program (ILP), which proved
effective during periods of tight supply in the
Visayas and Mindanao. In the midst of a looming power shortage in 2015, Govt Watch appeals for sobriety. While the threat is real, there are solutions, many of which do not involve granting the President emergency powers, they added. Government Watch warned that rotating blackouts that could hit the country next summer would be bad for the economy. If the power supply situation does not improve we may be faced with a power crisis that could cause higher electricity prices, or worse, rotating brownouts during the summer months in 2015. We must act now in order to avert an energy crisis in 2015, the watchdog said.
Discussion I. Gaps in Laws Relating To Child Internet Pornography Addressed by Republic Act 9775, Otherwise Known As The Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009
It Is A Well-Established Rule That The Employer Has The Burden of Proving A Valid Dismissal of An Employee, For Which It Must Be For A Just or Authorized Cause and With Due Process
Bilflex Phil. Inc. Labor Union Et Al. V. Filflex Industrial and Manufacturing Corporation and Bilflex (Phils.), Inc. 511 SCRA 247 (2006), THIRD DIVISION (Carpio Morales, J.)
The Termination of A Managerial Employee On The Ground of "Loss of Confidence" Should Have A Basis and The Determination of The Same Cannot Be Left Entirely To The Employer