The Wutz Up in the Philippines!

MANILA, Feb. 7 – Tight security greeted non-accredited journalists and kibitzers at the start of the printing of 50,723,734 official ballots on Sunday at the National Printing Office (NPO) at the National Government Center (NGC) on EDSA near National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Road, Diliman, Quezon City.

Security was provided by the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) and Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNA)-SAF.

Only accredited journalists and groups were allowed to enter. A Commission on Elections (COMELEC) security officer, who requested anonymity, told the Philippines News Agency (PNA), if a person is not on the COMELEC accreditation list, then he or she is not allowed to enter.

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“It does not mean that we can no longer transmit the results,” he said. “We can still transmit using the satellite.”

Site surveys conducted by Smartmatic-Total Information Management Corp. (TIM) showed 30 percent of the country lack access to telecommunication facilities.

These are the provinces of Abra, Benguet, Samar, Leyte, Zamboanga and Tawi-Tawi.

As of March 17, the number of registered voters in Abra was 147,615; Benguet, 328,010; Samar, 442,662; Leyte, 997,244; Zamboanga, 936,797; and Tawi-Tawi, 156,027, according to the Comelec.

Smartmatic started the survey in September last year to determine the availability of telecommunication facilities nationwide.

Anticipating a possible breakdown in telecommunications signals, Smartmatic had procured 5,000 units of BGAN as an alternative means to transmit election results.

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Every elections, controversies arised about the expected sabotage on election process. And in the incoming automated national  election, unconfirmed reports have surfaced about the large amount of cellphone jamming devices that were shipped in the country. Although these devices are usual, but what they are worried is the possibility that it will be used to sabotage the incoming election because of it was shipped during the election period.

Comelec spokeperson James Jimenez had said they are prepared with setbacks, such as loss of cellphone signals and made countermeasures for them on Election Day.

How does a cellphone jamming device works? A cellphone is a two-way radio used for communication. It receives and transmits radio frequency simultaneuosly, making it possible for the parties to listen and talk at the same time. And cellphone jamming devices transmits signals at a similar frequency as the cellphone. Thus, blocking the frequencies from reaching the nearest cell tower and disrupting the transmissions. Making the election be sabotage.

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MANILA, Philippines - After clearing the way for ex-president Joseph Estrada’s presidential bid, the Commission on Elections on Wednesday dismissed a petition seeking to disqualify President Arroyo from running for a congressional seat in her home province of Pampanga.

In its decision, the Comelec 2nd Division said the petition filed by lawyer Ely Pamatong lacked merit and was just a “waste of precious time.” A separate petition for Mrs. Arroyo’s disqualification filed by the Akbayan party-list remains pending at the Comelec’s 1st Division.

The Comelec 2nd Division’s decision was promulgated on Wednesday, the same day that the commission junked separate petitions seeking to disqualify Estrada from running for president in the May polls.

Enraged by the decisions, Pamatong accused the Comelec commissioners of corruption and threatened to walk out of the proceedings. “Your honor, I am walking out because I don’t have respect and trust in this commission. Mga magnanakaw kayo! (You are all thieves!)” he said.

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The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday approved the candidacies of environmentalist Nicanor Perlas and detained former Army general Danilo Lim, reversing an earlier decision excluding the two from the official list of candidates in the May 10 national elections.

Through Resolution 8743, the Comelec en banc announced that presidential aspirant Perlas and Liberal Party senatorial bet Lim have been included in the final list of candidates for the elections.

In the same resolution, the Comelec also denied the oppositions and motions for reconsideration of 89 people who filed their COCs for national posts, including presidential aspirants Oliver Lozano and Elly Pamatong and former Manila Rep. Mark Jimenez.

According to the resolution, Perlas was allowed to partipate in the presidential race because of his “distinguished track record in public service” and capacity to launch a nationwide campaign through the environmentalist’s “access to national media” and “organized group of persons… who volunteered to support for his bid for candidacy.”
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MANILA, Philippines - Hackers struck again, this time, defacing the home page of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) website, www.tesda.gov.ph.

Hackers put up two pages on the TESDA home page.

The first one had a header that read: “Nakikiramay kami sa pagpanaw ng Iskolar ng Bayan, freedom fighter na si Kimay”.

The first page also contained an illustration of a man giving the middle finger, then the text at the end of the page read: “Ano ba gagamitin sa eleksyon?”

The second page posted greetings from Ventureslink and directed visitors to Smartmatic, the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) partner for the automated polls.

This is not the first time government websites have been hacked.

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MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) passed a resolution yesterday formally endorsing the holding of early elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), giving lawmakers the go-signal to pass bills seeking early polls in the region.

Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento explained that the pending bills in Congress could not be processed unless endorsed by the poll body.

Earlier this month, Makati Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr. petitioned the Comelec to endorse the bills.

“(We came up with the) resolution on the request of Makati congressman Locsin, that the Comelec should endorse these bills for immediate congressional action,” he said.

The Comelec is proposing that elections in the ARMM be held not later than April 12 next year, a month earlier than the May 10 elections. The bills propose that elections be held in the ARMM at least a week ahead of the rest of the nation.

“The Commission hereby resolves to urge both houses of Congress to immediately pass the Early Voting Bills; provided that elections will be conducted not later than April 12, 2010 in the ARMM and only for one day,” the resolution said.

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MANILA, Philippines—The Department of National Defense (DND) is working on an agreement with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) that will provide the military a more active role in the 2010 elections.

Acting Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales said the new memorandum of agreement (MOA) would allow the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to meet the challenge “head on” instead of “shying away” from its responsibility during elections.

“We will show that the AFP is the true protector of democracy and our people’s will. We will prove the detractors of our soldiers wrong,” Gonzales said in a statement.

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Saddening but not surprising, says Isabela Governor

MANILA, Philippines—The Commission on Elections (Comelec) Tuesday ordered Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca to vacate her post to give way to former Gov. Benjamin Dy, saying the latter won in its recount by a thousand votes.

The Comelec Second Division ruled in favor of Dy almost three years after the 2007 gubernatorial election.

Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer said Padaca should leave Isabela’s top position because Dy was the rightful winner.

“Wherefore, the Commission Second Division resolves … to grant the instant petition, to annul the proclamation of protestee, and to direct the protestee to vacate the office of the provincial governor of Isabela and relinquish the same to protestant,” the division said in its decision.

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The Commission on Elections (Comelec) Monday said security forces should “immediately turn over” to the poll body the ballot boxes and other election paraphernalia that were reportedly confiscated during their search of the houses of the Ampatuan family in Maguindanao province.

Comelec Chair Jose Melo, however, refused to comment on whether the election materials had something to do with the claims of fraud in the 2004 and 2007 polls.

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