Era for Computerized Voting System

Commission on Elections is a constitutional body mandated with the responsibility of overseeing the election in the republic. The agency face a multitude of tough security challenges in addition to ensuring a reliable and the integrity of the election returns. There has been proponent for making election systematically process by means of electronic machines. But public's lack of support and confidence in computerization, and legislative efforts of continued scruntinizing sometimes of conflicting laws and regulations, social, and economic have somewhat lost the interests and make it difficult or even impossible in achieving a modern computerization of elections. Added to this are arrays of irregularity in the bidding process. Despite of this concerns there should other alternatives for iniatives.

To gurantee success in achieving a modernization of the election systems through computerization. There must be first an IT Policy Compliance. The agencies concerned with supporting the election process systems either in public or private entities must be mandated to comply with an array of laws and standards, that is to ensure safeguard of the electorate's vote, protect and secure also personnal information. While making the election results accessible to the public but also giving it enough protection against tampering. In addition to IT Policy Compliance a contigency to be able to quickly react to other unexpected disaster, thus there also must be a Disaster Recovery Solutions. Continuous backup and faster recovery contigency must be mandated to protect critical and sensitive data of the electorate's information. Electorate's Information Protection should also mandated to provide protection against unknown threats ranging from tampering election data.

Because the republic has experienced allegation of vote tampering in any elections from local to the national level. Increased declined of trust and confidence for a modern computerized election from the general public are expected, thus by far achieving a computerized election system may not be possible anytime soon. Significantly traditional manual voting system is more preferred by the electorate and they have more confidence in having votes cast on paper ballots rather than relying exclusively on electronic voting machines.

To gain the support from the electorate the agencies responsible for maintaining the elections needs to have a proactive role by means of some effective communication channel. Educating the electorate in sincere means by addressing the advantages and disadvantages of both the traditonal current manual voting system and proposed computerized voting systems. Other channels might include an open forums and discussions such as town hall rountable meetings.

Speculations of massive vote manipulation that the computerization of election process migth result into added adverse impact. The biggest challenges that the traditional manual voting process faced is the reforms to bring honest and credible election results.

Through experimentation process or pilot program it might achieved something worth than nothing at all.

• Conduct a pilot program that would start with the village election - barangay election; it can do much to remove common misconceptions; it might encountered serious problems. Nonetheless the computerized election system will serve as a grass-root training grounds leading to a modern automated and efective means of election system. Study the post election results focusing mostly on the participation, acceptance, and concerns of the electorates. A high approval rating would be a biggest considerable option that the same system can operate at the local - municipal/city elections and/or national level - congressional and presidential elections. They key of this pilot program is to provide an indepth study of the system effectiveness and efficiency.
  


• If the proposal for computerized election systems failed to gain the electorate's trust and confidence. By far an on-site computerized voter's registration identification system maybe best alternative without compromising the traditional manual vote counting process or vote tabulation system. This means that voter's registration system are accessible on-site at the voting center. Aside from validating the voter's registration IDs at the same time in real-time it can validate the voter's identity thru finger print recognition system or any other computerized effective means of physically present identifications. Thereby in the very least ensuring that the identity of the voter is valid. This will also eliminate the traditional manual cross-checking lists on-site which is prone to errors and delays. Also to note it will lighten the work load of the front desk voting precint officers considerably. Where practical, these same voting precints officers may find that computers can make aspects of registration more efficient. In reality they face mounting pressure not only from the electorate but from candidates also to secure and maintain an integrity of voters lists. These are just a some of the few factors that the electorate and legislature needs to consider. To sum it up the voter's registration process would only validate the physical appearance of the identity of the voter at the polling precints and/or centers but would not involve the computerization process of counting of votes which would still be in form of a traditional manual vote counting systems. The process would at least give an opportunity for modernizing the election systems and perhaps in the least prevent fraudalent identities which are commonly known as ghost voters; and duplicate registration or as flying voters.
  

It is important to recognize that computerization of the election system has greater advantages than disadvantages.

On Salute and Disobedience

There is general question in political debate are the acts of removing a president from power thru extra-constitutional measure is a basic natural rights? The constitution as we known is the first and foremost legal framework of the republic. It is the guiding principles aimed at protecting the civil liberty in pursuit of happiness.

Article II Section 3 of the Philippines constitution stated Civilian authority is, at all times, supreme over the military. The Armed Forces of the Philippines is the protector of the people and the State. Its goal is to secure the sovereignty of the State and the integrity of the national territory.

But when will the civilian authority becomes supreme over the military?

Let us look back. A series of coup and rebellion that was staged by members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines has unfurled in the country. But there was only two successful coup supported by the en masse that brought two women president in Malacanang, Corazon Aquino and Gloria Arroyo who both preceded a corrupt predecessor.

The very first people power was of exceedingly great of magnitude of civilian supporters with the aim of suppressing an authoritarian regime by bringing a new democratic goverment while the second is of less than what saw in the first civilian back revolution.

Gregorio Honasan who was once a colonel and a leader of the RAM boys group in the military has launched a series of unsuccessful coup events against the administration of former President Corazon Aquino. Which the last coup attempted under his direction has almost bring down the administration of President Corazon Aquino to it's knees. The event almost killed Benigno Aquino III now a senator is the former President Aquino's son by a retreating rebels who tried to get past thru Malacanang. American intervention and support from former President George Bush swiftly pushed the balance of power into Corazon Aquino's favor. Thus it was the last coup legacies under Honasan supervision against the goverment of former President Aquino. Honasan was eventually captured ending his hide-and-seek game with the goverment. But was later on escaped with the military guard assigned to him.

Former President Fidel Ramos also former defense chief of Corazon Aquino who succeeded the later and elected in May 1992 as the first president to serve under the 1987 constitution, saw an opportunity for the country achieved lasting peace and development. A non-partisan and unity in the republic is one of his administration top priority. His administration instituted roadmap to peace and development in the republic by extending amnesty to the rebel groups. Under his leadersip the country gained political stability and saw no coup elements destabilizing the peace and security. Honasan resurfaced after hiding applied and was granted amnesty. May 2007 senatorial election came and he eventually won a seat in the senate.

After Vice President Gloria Arroyo assumed the presidency 2001 from deposed former President Joseph Estrada in the years to follow saw some resurgence of coup. In 2003 a group of young navy officers belongs to the magdalo group of lieutenant Antonio Trillanes held up in luxury apartment in Makati city, the Oakwood appartment. With some followers also in the military uniform cordon the apartment with explosive bomb and other amunition with them. In what appears to be a demonstration of ready for battle. These same magdalo group with lieutenant Antonio Trillanes that publicy demanded reform in the military, the resignation of President Gloria Arroyo and her former top defense chief Angelo Reyes due to allegation of corruption prevalence in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Under intense negotiation from the goverment these navy officers peacefully agreed to surrender peacefully and some of them return to their barracks.
Senator Honasan was an ally of deposed former President Joseph Estrada was implicated as the advisor behind the failed Oakwood appartment mutiny. Goverment prosecutors filed rebellion charges against him and went into hiding. This was not the second time Honasan went into hiding, intelligence and law enforcement agencies was able bring him out in the shadow. Eventually he became an ally of President Arroyo and charges of rebellion against him was discontinued. Senator Honasan was re-elected in the senate in the May 2007.

While in military detention lieutenant Antonio Trillanes was allowed to file his candidacy for senate and won a seat. Thus making him the second renegade officer that was elected in the senate after Honasan. His campaign for senate seat was supported by the opposition that is also allied to deposed former President Joseph Estrada. Due to the nature of his cases he was not allowed to attend a senate session with his frustration he staged another mutiny with General Lim and few supporters in what he might thought his cause would be supported by the en masse of those who had voted for him. Senator Trillanes second attempt in November 2007 to forced the resignation of President Arroyo did not send a multitude of people to the street to support and defend his cause while they are in the Manila Penninsula hotel. The unthinkable mistake of his action had given goverment prosecutors a stronger basis for not allowing him to attend senate session and filling of more charges against him.

Today the task of immediate radical changes in the goverment is perceived most difficult because in the face of political reality those that have the biggest well maintained political machinery would always comes out stronger. A current administration who's compentence and governance is questioned in it's ability to control corruption and is preceeded by a scandal and controversy ridden administration also does not necessarily or immediately would effect a dramatical event that would lead to another people power revolution. In effect the people of the republic is just too tired of politics as of this moment.

Factory of Political Parties

The republic has been since becoming a blooming industry for diverse set of plurality of establishing political parties. In the early years of the first republic there has been one political party the Federal Party. The first party did not survive following the years after the commonwealth. In the second republic saw the emergence of two party the Nationalista Party and Liberal Party. A party system that patterned alike with the Republican and Democrats of the United States of America. The Nationalista party produced more Presidents than the Liberal party. It is the latter that was a breakaway from the former. Today both parties are considered the oldest surviving political party.

In the years and succession years of martial law period former President Ferdinand Marcos suspended polical parties. National assembly election in 1978 came and saw the resumption of political parties. Kilusan Bagong Lipunan was formed as an umbrella of political support for Marcos. Other political parties emerges most of them are unknown and defunct at present while the two grand old party Liberal and Nationalista was sidelined and their participation saw little impact. With most of the opposition parties boycotted other national elections in the 1980s with claimed of one-side to favor Marcos hold in power. The leading opposition political party against Marcos KBL was the Lakas ng Bayan of the Senator Benigno S. Aquino Jr, he was the most leading opponent figure of Marcos. After Benigno Aquino's assination in August 21, 1983 his party transcend as one of the most leading vocal groups of opposing the autocratic administration of Marcos. Soon the party joined with other opposition party to form a single banner known as the United Nationalist Democratic Organization - UNIDO. This became former President Corazon Aquino's party banner in the 1986 presidential snap elections.

After assuming the presidency former President Corazon Aquino's popularity is evident in the May 1987 congressional elections wining most of the seats in congress. In the senate alone 22 out of 24 candidates she endorsed and run under her Lakas ng Bayan banner won the seats. Marcos' KBL saw little participation and was reduced to a minor party while Marcos was in exiled. Marcos died while in exile in 1989.

Pre-national election in 1992 saw the emergence of the new and ressurection of old political parties. Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) was formed but was divided into a faction that supports the candidacy of former Speaker Ramon Mitra and former defense secretary Fidel Ramos. Mitra was overwhelm garnered the support of the party's majority in a party's national convention and was nominated as the party's first standard bearer for the 1992 presidential elections. Ramos knowingly had better chances of winning the presidency than Mitra, thus together with his supporters had breakaway from LDP to form their own party the Lakas CMD which is at current the most dominant party. Ramos candidacy for the presidency was endorsed and supported by Corazon Aquino and he eventually won the presidency beating Mirriam Santiago who is now a Senator and was thought to be the next to become President after Corazon Aquino because of showing strong on the surveys all the time. Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago also formed her own People's Reform Party. Other party that saw in action during presidential election campaign in 1992 was the Nationalist People's Coalition, Liberal Party, PDP-Laban, Nationalista Party, and KBL. It was Ramos who topped the 1992 presidential elections.

The presidential election campaign in 1998 change the course of political climate once more. The dominant Lakas CMD party was split into two faction supporting the candidacy of Speaker Jose De Venencia and former Defense Secretary Renato De Villa. De Venencia eventually won the party's nomination for it's standard bearer. De Villa followed the footstep of former President Ramos then to form his own party Reporma and run as it's standard bearer. Senator Raul Roco left LDP and formed his own Aksyon Demokratikong Pilipino. Other political parties that joined the 1998 presidential elections were Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) of Joseph Estrada which coalesce with LDP, Peoples Reform Party of Miriam Santiago, PDP Laban of Aquilino Pimentel, Nationalist People's Coalition NPC, Liberal Party LP, Nationalista Party NP, Kilusan ng Bagong Lipunan KBL. Joseph Estrada a former actor eventually won the 1998 presidential election but was forced out of office in the middle of his term due to massive allegation of mismanagement and corruption. He was succeeded by Gloria Arroyo.

2004 presidential election came the incumbent President Gloria Arroyo run under the banner of her own party KAMPI with Lakas CMD as the main supporter. LDP faction headed by Edgardo Angara fielded Fernando Poe Jr an actor and close friend of deposed former President Joseph Estrada. The other LDP faction was with Agapito Aquino brother in-law of former President Corazon Aquino supported the candidacy of Senator Panfilo Lacson. Senator Raul Roco once again joined as himself the standard bearer of his own Aksyon Demokratiko. A new political party formed by religious leader Eddie Villanueva also joined in the election. Results of the election shows incumbent President Arroyo garnering the top spot. On top of this on the congressional level also saw growth on the formation of party-list sectors.

Political parties is not as surprising that always figured prominently in the affairs of the republic. It has been always the subject of public attention.

Apparently a diverse ideological indifferences that made this political parties. Others may quick to note that the party formation of their own was a vehicle for advancement of their own interests. For whatever ideological reasonings it may validate, sad to note whenever election came more and more political parties are formed. This display a reality of uncertainty and discord within the parties own rank, the urge to become a leader is strong than to serve.

Apparently a diverse ideological indifferences that made this political parties. Others may quick to note that the party formation of their own was a vehicle for advancement of their own interests. For whatever ideological reasonings it may validate, sad to note whenever election came more and more political parties are formed. This display a reality of uncertainty and discord within the parties own rank, the urge to become a leader is strong than to serve.

The biggest challenges posed for these political parties is the direction to what may they contribute toward bringing a sustain progressive economic development and peace in the republic. In the face of modern era in a manner to which parties operated traditionally they tend to seek new behaviors and strategies. Practice of modern liberal democracy is regarded as widely accepted common influence of broad appreciation from the electorate. Perhaps an important structures by means of which to build a social agent of representation in the government to where the exercise of the affairs of the republic is temporarily entrusted. Sad to note it appears that political parties are more entrenched in their strategies of electoral mobilization to ensure that they can get the vote needed to win in the elections.

Amendment not Replacement

Constitution as what we known is the first and foremost legal framework of the republic. Historically Philippine Constitution has been replaced several times dating back on the era of the first republic was established. Several attempts are intitiated to amend or replaced the 1987 Constitution but it was welcomed with mixed opposition.

The very first Constitution groundwork was the 1899 Constitution at the Malolos convention attended by the statesmen of the revolutionary goverment of the first republic. This did not survive and was replaced by a 1935 Constitution under the commonwealth goverment. The second Constitution however did not survive also and was replaced by a 1973 Constitution promulgated after former president Ferdinand Marcos' declaration of martial laws that introduced a presidential parliamentary type of goverment. Under the 1973 Constitution the head of the republic which is the president could be re-elected to an unlimited number of terms. Subsequently amendments to the 1973 Constitution are introduced to allow the president to consolidate it's power. After president Marcos was removed from Malacanang thru civilian back revolt known as the very first people power his predecessor former president Corazon Aquino issue proclamation order number 3 to form a convention with the intent of replacing the 1973 Constitution. Thus the 1987 Constitution was created and accepted by the majority thru a referendum.

The Constitution as what we know is the supreme law in the land. Ammendments not replacement of the entire Constitution is somewhat needed. These are for the reason to close some gap and/or loopholes found in the Constitution. The task of amending the 1987 Constitution is not an easy one. What are the prerequisite in amending the Constitution?

Article 17 Section 3 as stated in the Constitution that the Congress may, by a vote of two-thirds of all its Members, call a constitutional convention, or by a majority vote of all its Members, submit to the electorate the question of calling such a convention.

And Article 17 Section 4 also stated that any amendment to, or revision of, this Constitution under Section 1 hereof shall be valid when ratified by a majority of the votes cast in a plebiscite which shall be held not earlier than sixty days nor later than ninety days after the approval of such amendment or revision.

A major roadblock to amending the Constitution was the political discontent of the electorate. At the outmost the electorate believe that there was a hidden agenda with fear of issues ranging from extending the terms of the office of a public officials. Lacking of educating the electorate and dissemination of information regarding items to be amend, purposes behind needed amendments. Also consider the lack of widely general consultation with the electorate.

Notably some long overdue ammendments needed in the Constitution are as follows:

1. Additional requirements for President, Vice-president, Senators, and House of Representatives.
   
   Must have at least a four year bachelor degree in any field
   
   This additional qualification demonstrates that the person seeking an elective position in the goverment must have a steadfast commitment in education. Public offices eligibility requirements particularly the highest office position in the land must require that education attainment is an important factor in carrying out duties that requires due diligence in policy making decisions also.
   
   In most cases this is well known, a job opportunity advertise for the position of administrative assistance requires a four year college degree from a reputable colleges or universities. Civil servants also are required to have a bachelor degree to be able to qualified for a goverment offices. To note that the highest office in the land which is the presidency does not require to be a holder of a college degree.



2. Additional restriction to the terms of the office for Senators and Representatives.
   
   No Senator or Member of the House of Representative shall be eligible to apply to any other elective position in the goverment without voluntarily resignation from his/her office.
   
   At present a Senator has six years terms and Representatives has three years. Noting nothing is wrong in this terms however if a Senator or Representative runs for other public elective office in the middle of his/her term and loses, this gives them the option to continue their remaining office terms or voluntarily vacate out of delicadeza, or sense of discretion. Yet, it is gurantee under the 1987 Constitution that legislative members cannot hold any other office or employment in the goverment.
   
   Article 6 Section 13 as mandated in the 1987 Constitution stated as that no Senator or a Member of the House of Representatives may hold any other office or employment in the Government, or any subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof, including government-owned or controlled corporations or their subsidiaries, during his term without forfeiting his seat. Neither shall he be appointed to any office which may have been created or the emoluments thereof increased during the term for which he was elected.



3. Proportionate representation on each island in the Senate. Each island luzon, visayas, and mindanao should be exclusively represented by at least 2 Senators and the remaining 18 would be determine by a vote at large. This would at least give an opportunity for each island an equal representation in the senate, somehow an opportunity for equal representation in the Senate. This will also provide an opportunity to distribute country wide development program in each island.