Tag: 201o elections

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By MARK JOSEPH UBALDE
VERA Files

WITH barely 14 days left before the elections, a multisectoral group is making a last-ditch effort to convince the Commission on Elections to adopt a parallel nationwide manual count to avoid a possible “Automated Garci.”

In a press conference held at Club Filipino Sunday, leaders of concerned groups that include the Makati Business Club and Philippine Bar Association read their open letter to the Comelec, saying the decision on their proposal cannot be delayed beyond April 29 or else the parallel manual count won’t be doable.

“If the Comelec decides after April 29, then we are afraid and gravely concerned that the May 10 elections would remain extremely vulnerable to manipulation and fraud,” they said in the letter that will be given to Comelec on Monday when the poll commissioners meet en banc.

Augusto Lagman, an IT specialist and convenor of TransparentElections.Org, said,“It would only take two to four days to ready the system. The Comelec should ensure accuracy than speed of the results.”