Advancing reform in Philippine elections

QUEZON City, Philippines (February 8) – For the 2016 polls, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) is letting the public see precinct-level results by posting them on its official website. They are challenged to carefully draw the balance in the never-ending conflict among rights and regulations, liberties and limitations, and opposing demands of the different segments of society to maintain a honest, peaceful, free and realistic elections.

Senator Grace Poe advocates for the Freedom of Information Act 2009 (FOI), which aims to open to public scrutiny and understanding every piece of documentation the government produces. Simplify government, to untangle its complication, by making its workings transparent, accessible and understandable.

According to Poe, the legislation will cover all government agencies and instrumentalities, which will also be required to upload on their websites the Statements of Assets, Liabilities and New Worth of their officials.

The Commission on Election (COMELEC) decided to upload the election returns on its official website so that anyone can tabulate and verify whether the official result that will be released by the Commission is true. Said move is impressive because it will result in an election that is more open and accessible to the public or regular voters.

I agree with the move to upload the election returns on the COMELEC website because it will not only avoid graft and corruption but most importantly people will learn to get involved in government matters especially now that election is coming. Citizens will have the right to be granted access to election returns records so they can monitor and verify whether the official result is truthful.

Yes, there are some disadvantages that this idea may face but being open and transparent to the citizens are much more important because we are in a democratic country, we have the freedom of speech and the people’s right to information, and citizens choose and decide the right candidate to cast their vote in the upcoming elections. All voters don’t want to waste their time voting yet their vote will not be counted because of some dishonest candidates.

As soon as the Commission of Elections polishes this idea and of course fixes all the machines that they will be using in accomplishing this, I’m looking forward that this will help lessen or, hopefully, even eliminate  cheating incidents in the  upcoming election.

(written by Mia Caragay, edited by Jay Paul Carlos, additional research by Lovely Ann Cruz)