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.###

H.O.P.E. for change!

H.O.P.E. for change!
No to election failure, fraud or violence!

Bayan Muna, Task Force on Urban Conscientization, and concerned leaders and organizations across sectors join hands at the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help (Baclaran Church) today, 4:30 p.m., as a community of faithful imploring Divine guidance and HOPE for the sake of the entire nation, and especially for the future generations of Filipinos.

Amid threats of nationwide fraud, confusion, violence and technical failures plaguing the country's first automated polls, we come together to pray, draw inspiration, and work hand in hand for an Honest, Orderly, and Peaceful Elections (HOPE) for change.

The recent PCOS machine test failures that require the recall, recalibration and replacement of 76,000 compact flash (CF) cards added to the ever-growing fears that there might be failure of elections thus prolonging Pres. Gloria Arroyo's reign in Malacanang. But in spite of these threats, we will pursue honest, orderly, peaceful and credible elections. We continue to HOPE for change!

The 2010 elections give us an opportunity to catalyze change for the country through HOPE. We enjoin every Filipino to seek HOPE for change, to help ensure that no fraud or violence or confusion will prevail, to prevent any scheme that will curtail the democratic rights of the people, to be aware of political developments, to be vigilant, and to be responsive in safeguarding the sanctity of votes.

In the people's unity, determination and concerted actions during politically dark times depend the survival of this country's democratic institutions.

Long live the Filipino people!

Bayan Muna - Task Force on Urban Conscientization - Concerned leaders and organizations
(5 May 2010)

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.

Instead of mud slinging, let's save the Earth - Bayan Muna

Instead of mud slinging, let's save the Earth - Bayan Muna

On the eve of worldwide Earth Day celebrations, leading party list Bayan Muna called on candidates for the 2010 elections to "stop the mud slinging frenzy and instead discuss and debate on substantial issues most especially how to protect and rehabilitate the environment."

During yesterday's launch of the "2010 People's Electoral Agenda for the Environment" drafted by several environmental groups under the EnviVote 2010 Alliance, Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño said it was disheartening that environmental issues have taken a back seat to political intrigues and personal attacks among politicians.

"We call on all candidates to stop throwing mud at each other and instead debate on how best to preserve the Earth," he said.

Casiño said his party is adopting "in whole, word for word, the 'People's Agenda for the Environment'.

The said environment platform includes:

1. social justice programs including genuine agricultural reform which aims “to stem upland migration to our fragile ecosystem, as well as urban migration to congested cities, by providing food and livelihood opportunities to our growing rural population;”
2. an independent and self-reliant economy, which aims to capitalize on the country's resources as means for production, “to develop native agricultural varieties and indigenous agricultural practices in attempting to break away from the dependence on and control of foreign corporations;”
3. programs for national progress and industrialization, aims to utilize the country’s geothermal, wind, solar, and hydro which is enough to supply electricity instead of relying on fossil fuels and foreign corporations for the energy needs;
4. a genuine program to protect and rehabilitate the environment, calls for responsibility and liability to extractive industries and private corporations for the management and of their toxic and industrial wastes, and other activities that pose threats to health and safety must be addressed;
5. programs for peace and justice, addresses the repressive legal tactics of corporations, such as filing of SLAPPS, also, it addresses the entry of weapons of mass destruction in the country;
6. lastly, towards a clean governance, which seeks to reorient government agencies in implementing laws on the environment and strengthening of its implementations.

“Bayan Muna is one with Envivote Alliance in pursuing its electoral agenda for the environment. We believe that this is an urgent matter and every candidate should carry this and include it in their platform. Issues on the environment should be addressed immediately by the legislature by passing laws that protect the Philippines and its resources. Together with the people, we should act now,” Rep. Teddy Casiño said.###

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. ###

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.

"Punish violators among the military!" – Bayan Muna Partylist

Media Release
20 March 2010

www.bayanmuna.net
www.bayanmuna-partylist.blogspot.com

"Punish violators among the military!" – Bayan Muna Partylist

“Human rights violations and the smear campaign against progressive candidates and partylists will never stop unless those who violated the law get punished.” This is the stern warning of Atty. Joven Laura, 3rd nominee of Bayan Muna Partylist, to the new Army Chief Lt. Gen. Delfin Bangit with regards to the military’s obligation during the elections.

According to Laura, reminding the Armed Forces of the Philippines of their duty is not enough; “If Bangit is really serious in enforcing the military’s obligation in the elections, he should immediately order to investigate cases of violations by military elements,” he adds.

Meanwhile, Bayan Muna Partylist Rep. Teddy Casiño states that, “Partisan activity is not only campaigning for a candidate but also against a candidate.” Casiño cites the actual cases of harassment and intimidation by elements of the military on progressive candidates and partylists as a clear violation of the military’s obligation not to engage in partisan politics. Such cases involve the different forms of harassment and intimidation by elements of the military like what a certain Maj. Arnaldo Manjares did to inflict harm and intimidate volunteers of Makabayan in Sorsogon City, and units of soldiers in full battle gear doing house-to-house campaigns in different parts of Metro Manila, Southern Tagalog and Mindanao against Satur Ocampo, Liza Maza and progressive partylists such as Bayan Muna.

The latest incident of harassment occurred in the municipality of Lezo, Aklan, wherein two men riding a motorcycle threw two vintage apple-type hand grenades at the house of Councilor Fernando Baldomero. Baldomero is the the provincial chair for Bayan Muna Partylist in Aklan and also the provincial coordinator for the Makabayan Coalition. Of the two grenades that were thrown at the residence of Baldomero, only one exploded. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident. Baldomero was the host of Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares’ sortie during his visit in Aklan.

“We condemn the continuous harassment and threats to the lives of the supporters and volunteers of progressive groups. Gen. Bangit should ensure the safety of Bayan Muna members and its congressmen, and ensure any soldiers involved in partisan political activities are punished,” Rep. Neri Colmenares said.

According to Casiño, Colmenares and Laura, Bayan Muna will not have second thoughts in filing cases against military and police elements who participate in electoral partisan activities and human rights violations.###

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.###