DAVAO CITY.– Independent presidential candidate Nicanor Perlas has asked the Commission on Elections to postpone the May 10 polls by three months to avoid a possible failure of elections that may result from defects in the new automated election system (AES).
“The Comelec is not yet prepared. Many PCOS (Precinct Count Optical Scan) machines are defective, an indication that there may be failure of elections,” Perlas said at the Paminaw Mindanao presidential forum held at the Holy Cross of Davao College on April 16.
He said in an interview that at least 20 defects in the AES had been identified like the lack of an independent source code review, infallible transmission systems, a verifiable paper audit trail, ballot security features and ballot printing efficiency.
The forum was organized by the Bishop’s Ulama Conference (BUC) Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID), Kusog Mindanaw, Mindanao Association of State Colleges and Universities Foundation (MASCUF), Mindanao Commission on Women (MCW), Mindanao Business Council (MinBC), Mindanao Peaceweavers (MPW), National Ulama Conference of the Philippines (NUCP), and the Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy (PCID). The IID is the forum’s lead convenor.
Of the nine candidates invited, only four attended — Perlas of Bangon Pilipinas, Kapatiran’s John Carlos “JC” delos Reyes, Lakas Kampi’s Gilbert Teodoro and Jesus is Lord Movement’s Eddie Villanueva. — Abdulbasit Benito, Center for JustPeace Phils. Inc.