Comelec and Smartmatic treat 2010 elections as a joke

UNSEALED PASSWORD COULD WREAK HAVOC
IN THE PRESIDENTIAL CANVASSING:
Comelec and Smartmatic treat 2010 elections as a joke

Bayan Muna Partylist representatives Teddy Casiño and Neri Colmenares were shocked at the cavalier fashion with which Comelec and Smartmatic treated the installation of the Consolidation Server for the Presidential Canvassing in the House of Representatives. “Comelec and Smartmatic did not send a representative in the installation, giving the House Secretary General the thankless job of explaining on their behalf. Their absence is a major insult to the House. They think our questions do not matter” said Bayan Muna representative Teddy Casiño. “Worse, the very important security tokens and their passwords were placed in an unsealed ordinary white envelope normally used in soliciting donations in barangay beauty contests. Magulo ang pag turn over ng Comelec at Smartmatic sa House. Can you imagine, they were using the guidelines for provincial canvassing as they were installing the CCS for the presidential canvassing. Parang joke lang sa Comelec ito”, added Rep. Casiño.

House Secretary General Marilyn Yap explained that those results that were not electronically transmitted will be entered in the CCS manually by entering the physically transmitted memory or CF cards. When asked if this will expose the CCS to fraudulent manipulation, she explained that only those who know the password can open the CCS to enter the physically transmitted results. “This exposes the presidential canvassing to fraud. Anyone who could have accessed the security tokens in the unsealed envelop and read the passwords written in a piece of paper, could now enter fake results in the CCS” said Bayan Muna Representative Neri Javier Colmenares. “Any losing presidential candidate can now question these results creating havoc in the presidential canvassing. The fact that the envelopes were open is a major fiasco for the presidential canvassing.”

Members of the House were also informed that results of the Overseas Absentee Voting will not be electronically transmitted but will be transmitted physically through its memory card. “Waiting for the results from countries abroad will surely cause delay in the canvassing. It is possible that we will be canvassing the results for more than 48 hours” said Rep. Colmenares. “Moreover, it is difficult for the watchers of poor party list candidates like Bayan Muna who cannot afford watchers to guard the memory cards all the way to the Philippines."

The installation was a failure according to Rep. Casiño. “Marami pang ibang palpak sa installation. The card or flash reader was not tested if it can read information,or if it will accept CF cards physically transmitted. There was even no testing of electronic transmission. Bayan Muna will submit a protest with the Comelec on these dangerous developments,” declared Rep. Casiño.

Bayan Muna calls on public to be vigilant in protecting their votes

Garbage in, garbage out

Bayan Muna warns vs. electronic cheating,
calls on public to be vigilant in protecting their votes

Witnessing the installation of the CCS machine at the House of Representatives which would receive electronic returns for the national canvass for president and vice president on election day, Bayan Muna representatives Teddy Casiño and Neri Colmenares today reiterated their call for the Comelec to implement new safeguards, "otherwise, the CCS machines will be susceptible to that basic rule in computer technology - garbage in, garbage out."

Bayan Muna is opposing proposals to postpone the May 10 elections and wants Comelec to implement remedial measures to all technical problems to ensure credible polls. "While we agree that some form of parallel and expanded random manual count is warranted given the defects of the PCOS, we also warn against a return to full manual counting since there will be higher risks of cheating to be done by experts and veterans of the rigged 2004 elections."

"But whether there will be full automation, partial, parallel, or random manual counting, the people will now have to take it upon themselves to prevent cheating. Comelec and Smartmatic are part of the problem. The solution is the people's vigilance," he said.

"At this point, automation can not guarantee clean, credible elections. We call on our people to be ready to be sleepless for two or three days just to guard the votes. Let us be involved in the checking and sealing process. We must be involved in the counting process. Let people power be alive on May 10," stressed Casiño.

"We must stop Oplan RAFAEL (the scheme to retain Arroyo through failure of elections). Bayan Muna appeals to the public not to be deceived into thinking everything's okay. We are raising our voices to alert the citizenry, to foil the plans of those who wish to control every democratic institution for their own selfish interests. Let's be vigilant in protecting the sanctity of the ballot as our means for instituting reforms beneficial to the people," Casiño urged.

Bayan Muna Partylist Rep. Neri Colmenares illustrated how problematic the situation could be if "defective" CF memory cards are replaced by another batch of defective cards. "There will be delays, a failure or postponement where the machine or program malfunctions. Some will be forced to do manual counting. This is where expert cheaters can manipulate the results through dagdag-bawas. Or it could be a high-tech, electronic cheating like card switching or transmission of fake results," Colmenares said.

"Generals Bangit, Mapagu and Sec. Gonzales, with their vast network of spies, know some things they are not telling us. They know exactly who stands to benefit from an Arroyo term extension. Instead, they have been lying and deflecting the issue of military involvement in cheating! If these three are not involved in electoral fraud, they should have immediately investigated their subordinates whom we have complained for conducting threats and harassment against progressive candidates and members," Colmenares added.

A protest action is also being held simultaneously at the Comelec central office in Manila.###

pre- Earth Day activities

Here are some of Bayan Muna Partylist's pre- Earth Day activities. Photos show (a) Rep. Teddy Casino in the "2010 People's Electoral Agenda for the Environment" held at the QC Memorial Circle and (b) the participants of the "Recycling for New Politics..." campaign which featured a recycled tarpaulin bag-making demo held at Payatas, QC.

Bayan Muna Partylist Campaign Sortie in Bacolod & Negros Occ.

Rep. Neri Colmenares and campaigners conduct house-to-house, market, plaza and town motorcades to listen to residents and introduce Bayan Muna and AES voting.

Bayan Muna to Presidential Bets: Rise Above Mudslinging

Bayan Muna 3rd Nominee and peasant lawyer Atty. Joven Laura appeals to all candidates, especially the presidential bets, to quit the personal attacks against their opponents and bring the campaign to a sensible and rational level. “Huwag nang magtirahan ng personal. Maglabas na lang ng mga programa para makita ng mga tao kung sino ang nagdadala ng kanilang mga usapin. Ang pag-usapan na lang ay yung mga problema ng lipunan at kung paano nila ito sosolusyonan,” Laura says.

Laura also thinks that the kind of campaigning we are witnessing in this period contributes to the decadence of society. “Let us be all be responsible enough. The people, especially the poor and marginalized, have been suffering under a governance that is serving only the few. The candidates should offer them a much rational basis for voting for those who are sincere and concerned about the poor majority,” Laura expounds. He recently challenged presidentiables and vice presidentiables to present their platforms for the farmers, workers, urban poor, fisherfolk, women and the youth.

Laura also reminds the people to look into the track records of candidates and their programs for the poor. He also cautions the people against fake (posing as marginalized) and Gloria Arroyo-backed partylists like the Ang Galing Pinoy and 1-UTAK where presidential son Mikey Arroyo and former Energy secretary Angelo Reyes are nominees, respectively. ###

BAYAN MUNA CALLS ON CONGRESS TO CONVENE, PASS SUCCESSION LAW AND ELECT NEW SENATE PRESIDENT

Media Release
23 March 2010

BAYAN MUNA CALLS ON CONGRESS TO CONVENE, PASS SUCCESSION LAW AND ELECT NEW SENATE PRESIDENT:
Challenges Pres. Arroyo to call for special session of Congress for that purpose alone

Bayan Muna partylist called on Congress today to convene before the start of the local campaign on March 26 to prevent an Arroyo hold-over government and the resulting upheaval if there will be failure of election. Bayan Muna challenges Pres. Gloria Arroyo to call for a special session of Congress for the purpose of electing a new Senate President and passing the important law on succession. Congress failed to pass the ‘failure of election’ bills filed by Bayan Muna (House Bill No. 6786: “An Act Providing for an Interim Succession in the Presidency in Case of Vacancy During the Beginning of the Term of the Said Office”) and Rep. Edno Joson (HB 6945 and HB 7108) due to lack of quorum. Bayan Muna’s bill proposes that the Chief Justice acts as acting president should there be failure of election to prevent Pres. Arroyo from extending her term.

“Congress has the time and the duty to pass these important measures. Twelve senators are not running, and local campaign has not yet started. It is illogical for Speaker Nograles to declare that there will be no quorum since congressmen are already campaigning. This is an illegal act as Congressmen are not supposed to campaign now,” said Bayan Muna partylist representative Neri Javier Colmenares. “Sen. Enrile who presided over martial law in 1972 cannot be trusted to turn over the senate presidency smoothly especially if the ‘perceived’ presidential winner is not his ally. It must be noted that he is running under the slate of a presidential candidate. The need to elect a new Senate President is obvious," Colmenares said.

"Pres. Arroyo has clearly displayed her intention to control the AFP, the Supreme Court and Congress. She is transporting her entire cabinet to Congress by ordering them to run for district congressional seats and the partylist," Colmenares revealed.

“We cannot trust Arroyo's word. Years ago, she said she will not run for president, yet she did and reigned for nine years; recently she said she had no plans of running again, but now she is running for Congress; and now Malacanang is saying there will be no failure of election. The failure of election is not idle talk. Congress must act now or suffer being closed just like what transpired during martial law, Rep. Colmenares warned. ###

Satur: firm "No" to military take over in case of poll failure

Media Release

Satur: firm "No" to military take over in case of poll failure

Makabayan senatorial bet and Nacionalista Party guest candidate Satur Ocampo today said that Malacanang has itself to blame if no one believes its assertions that there will be no hitches or delays in Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo' s exit from the presidency in June.

"Pres. Arroyo has lied before – back in 2002 she said that she would not run for the presidency but she reneged on her word. The more denials Malacanang issues regarding the matter of Arroyo's exit, the more people become skeptical. In any case, the Filipino people will remain watchful against any and all attempts to keep Arroyo in office beyond June 30, 2010," Ocampo said.

Ocampo also said he is against proposals that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) take over in the event of a failure of elections. He said that allowing the military to assume power should not even be considered. "A military take-over is not even an option. We cannot risk handing over the reigns of government to a military junta given the AFP's record in abusing civil, political and human rights," he said.

Ocampo said that should there be a failure of elections, a civilian body comprised of church leaders, grassroots people's organizations, political parties and credible government officials can stand in and fill the vacuum. "Civilian authority must never be ceded to the military. We have learned our lessons from the dark years of martial law. This body can temporarily perform administrative functions as more comprehensive remedies are put in place to solve the problem of the vacuum in office," he said.

"But why are we even discussing such a possibility such as a military take-over? Does Malacanang know something the rest of us don't about the upcoming elections? We have the sneaking suspicion that Malacanang should actually be behind all this talk of failure of elections as a means to condition the public into accepting such a fatal possibility and so Filipinos will end up lowering their guard," Ocampo said.

Bayan Muna Voters Education Video

Please view this Bayan Muna Voters Education Video posted in YouTube and for nationwide VCD release. Thank you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5VKSyTfslA

FAILURE OF ELECTION NOW A DISTINCT POSSIBILITY WITH THE FAILURE OF CONGRESS TO PASS LAWS ON SUCCESSION

March 11, 2010


Reference: Rep. Neri Colmenares
www.bayanmuna.net

FAILURE OF ELECTION NOW A DISTINCT POSSIBILITY WITH THE FAILURE OF CONGRESS TO PASS LAWS ON SUCCESSION

Bayan Muna Party List Representative Neri Javier Colmenares lamented the failure of Congress to pass bills aimed at providing for orderly succession should there be failure of election. “With the appointment of the Lt. Gen. Delfin Bangit, a fierce Arroyo loyalist as AFP Chief of Staff, the widespread brownouts, and Comelec’s admission that it may not finish printing the ballots in time for the 2010 elections, the threat of failure of election is now a very distinct possibility” Rep. Colmenares declared. “The scenario painted by Sen. Enrile about a military takeover once the election fails is a serious cause for concern that should have been addressed by Congress” he added. Bayan Muna has filed a bill designating the Chief Justice as acting president in case no president, vice president, senators and congressmen are elected due to the breakdown of the automated election.

“The failure of Speaker Nograles to lead the House of Representatives into passing a succession law and preempt a national catastrophe only favors Pres. Gloria Arroyo who may hold over as president if the 2010 election fails” said the Bayan Muna representative. “His justification that members of the majority cannot muster quorum should a special session be called because they are campaigning is certainly shocking. Speaker Nograles has practically admitted that majority congressmen from Lakas-Kampi, NPC and the Liberal Party are conducting the illegal act of campaigning even before the start of the campaign period on March 26” he added.

“Comelec’s contingency plan of resorting to manual elections should the PCOS machines fail due to brownouts and other problem will not save the country from a failure of election but will, on the contrary, only make things worse”, Bayan Muna warned. “It is easy to cheat in a manual election using the automated ballots. Ballots containing votes for opposition candidates may be surreptitiously shaded by “Garcis” in the Comelec in order to void it for overvoting. Ballot switching in the precincts will also be very easy to do under this mixed system” he added.

Bayan Muna to Bangit -- Stop illegal AFP campaigns against us

March 10, 2010


Reference: Rep. Teddy Casiño
www.bayanmuna.net

Bayan Muna to Bangit -- Stop illegal AFP campaigns against us

Bayan Muna Partylist Representative Teddy Casiño challenged new Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Lt. Gen. Delfin Bangit to stop all illegal campaigns done by the AFP against Bayan Muna, progressive candidates and activist organizations.

"We are calling on Gen. Bangit to immediately stop all illegal campaigns committed by the AFP against partylists Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, Gabriela, Kabataan, Alliance of Concerned Teachers, Akap-Bata, and Katribu, and progressive senatorial candidates Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza. We have received reports of what appears to be a nationwide smear campaign against us, including physical threats on our volunteers," Casiño said.

Uniformed military personnel have been reportedly conducting house-to-house campaigns against Bayan Muna in different municipalities in Sorsogon. Posters vilifying Reps. Ocampo and Maza and progressive partylists, allegedly put up by organizations supported by the military, have sprouted along the streets of Manila, Quezon City, Taguig, Cagayan de Oro, Bukidnon, Iligan, Sorsogon, Davao and elsewhere. On February 23, a certain Maj. Arnal Manjares inflicted harm and threatened to shoot a MAKABAYAN volunteer.

"Huwag sana siyang magpagamit sa kampo ni PGMA para makapandaya sila sa eleksiyon gamit ang militar, tulad noong 2004 nang naganap ang 'Hello Garci and Generals' (We hope he will not allow himself to be used by PGMA's camp for election fraud involving the military, like what happened in 2004 when the 'Hello Garci and Generals' transactions transpired," Casiño said.

"It is clearly part of his mandate and duties as a top officer in the AFP to ensure no election fraud takes place and that the people's rights are respected at all times. We are also challenging him to make sure that the military allows PGMA critics in the partylists to campaign without threat or harassment from his men," Casiño concluded.###