Regional Coordinator Tess Pielago also called on the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to provide enough time for the poll watchers to double check the results before declaring it as final.

Moreso, MAKABAYAN – Bikol doubted the COMELEC’s prediction of an eighty-five percent voters turnout. Voters and volunteers reaffirmed this notion as reports of slow voting process and technical problems in polling precincts kept coming in.

“With the defective CF cards, PCOS machine failures and other reported problems, this is very unlikely,” said Pielago. “This only goes to show that the automated elections failed in its goal of a more efficient voting process. It only succeeded in betraying the people’s trust in the system.”

Nine hours after the voting started, Bicolanos are already expressing dismay over the poor performance of the automated elections system. Task Force Poll Watch – Bicol (TFPW – Bicol) volunteers in each province continue to report cases of PCOS machine failure.

Makabayan Regional Coordinator Tessa Pielago declared that the incessant reports of PCOS failures and other problems only show the COMELEC’s inefficiency in implementing this automated elections system.

She furthered that his scenario is a concrete proof of what the coalition has analyzed: this system is inappropriate for the country; the COMELEC is not ready; and most importantly, the system is an opportunity for cheating.

“Far from ensuring a clean and honest election, the incessant problems hounding the automated elections system affirm it as a tool to exploit the people’s right to suffrage for the administration’s own interests,” she added.

Itinanghal ng Kaboronyogan Cultural Group para sa Araw ng Paggawa sa Legazpi, Albay.

Kaninang umaga, 7,000 katao ang nagmartsa sa mga lansangan ng Sorsogon City. Dala-dala nito ang panawagang “Uring Anakpawis, Ipaglaban ang Karapatan sa Kabuhayan”. Ngayong hapon ay nagkakaroon ng miting de avance ang mga Makabayang kandidato na sina Satur Ocampo at Liza Maza sa pagka-senador at mga Progresibong Partylists tulad ng Anakpawis, Bayan Muna, Gabriela, Kabataan at Act Teachers, dumalo rin sa aktibidad ang ilang lokal na pulitiko. Sa kanyang talumpati, lubos na nagpasalamat ang Bayan Muna nominee na si Atty Joven Laura sa ipinadamang suporta ng kanyang mga kababayan .

Nagkaroon naman ng provincial-wide caravan sa Camarines Norte. Dalawampu’t pitong (27) sasakyan ang nag-caravan at 800 katao ang nagmartsa, bilang pakikiisa sa mga manggagawang Pilipino at mga progresibong personahe ng mga Anakpawis sa Kongreso.

Nagkaroon ng provincial-wide caravan sa Camarines Sur, at magkakaroon ng programa sa Naga City ngayong hapon.

Umabot sa 25,000 katao ang bumuhos sa mga lansangan ng Masbate City. Naglunsad din ng provincial-wide caravan mula tatlong distrito nito. Ang caravan ng mahigit 60 mga bus, trak at iba pang sasakyan  ay tumungo sa Masbate City. Nagmula pa sa 3rd District ang 50 sasakyan at ang 14 ay nagmula sa 2nd District. Pitong pump boats naman ang nagmula pa sa isla ng Ticao at may dalawa pang pump boats mula sa isla ng Burias.

Sa Albay, 2500 katao ang dumalo sa multi-sektoral na pagkilos sa Albay. Makulay na nagmartsa ang mga tagasuporta ng Makabayan mula sa Peñaranda Park patungong centro ng Legazpi City. Isinigaw dito ang todong pagkundena sa atake sa kabuhayan ng mga Bikolano, na dulot na pinatinding operasyong militar. Matapos ang martsa, nagtipon-tipon para sa isang pangkulturang programa na itinanghal sa harap ng Legazpi City Post Office. Nakakaantig-damdamin ang ipinakitang palabas na nagsalarawan sa mga pang-aabusong dinaranas ng masang anakpawis sa kamay ng berdugong AFP. Naghatid ng presentasyon ang Kaboronyogan Cultural Network at Salimpusa, ang Camarines Sur-based cultural group, at dito itinampok ang mabangis na hitsura ng Oplan Bantay Laya. Tampok sa kanilang presentasyon ang pagkundena sa pinakahuling insidente ng pamamaslang sa Brgy San Miguel sa bayan ng Oas. Nitong Abril 29, pinaulanan ng bala ng mga militar ang pamilya Adoni; napaslang ang magkokopras na si Ronald Marco at si Rochelle Topasi; at may tatlo pang sugatan. Ayon sa pamilya ng mga biktima, mga miltar ang may kagagawan ng krimen.

ANAKPAWIS

BAYAN MUNA

KABATAAN PARTYLIST

GABRIELA WOMEN’S PARTY

Isinagawa ang malaking caravan/ rally kaninang umaga ng mga mahihirap at maka-mahihirap na mga kandidato sa mismong sentrong lugar ng lungsod ng Masbate para sa paunang salvo ngayong panahon ng kampanyahan para sa nalalapit na halalan sa Mayo 10.

Nagsimulang umusad ang caravan ng buong pwersa nang mahihirap na taga-ikatlong distrito bandang alas 6:00 ng umaga at sa ikalawang distrito naman ay tumulak din bandang alas 7:30, nagsukob o nagbuklod ang nasabing pwersa sa crossing street at umikot palibot sa lungsod ng Masbate. Habang ang galing naman sa unang distrito(mga isla ng Ticao at Burias) ay nag martsa naman mula sa Masbate City Fish Port patungo sa pagdadausan ng aktibidad.

Matapos maikot ng mga nag-caravan ay kaagad na dumiretso ang mga ito patungong Masbate Social Center upang magsagawa ng isang programa.

Humigit kumulang sa sampung-libo katao ang dumalo at nakiisa sa nasabing aktibidad.

Dumalo sa naturang rali si Rep. Atty. Joven Laura, 3^rd nominee ng Bayan Muna Partylist at representante ni Satur Ocampo na kumakandidato naman sa pagka-Senador sa ilalim ng MAKABAYAN Party. Kabilang din sa nagsalita ay si James Hernandez- Vice President for Southern Luzon ng Kabataang Pinoy Partylist.

Isa-isang nagbigay ng pahayag ang mga ikinukunsiderang miyembro ng Dream Ticket na pinangunahan ni Senior Board Member, Jamon J. Espares, Atty. Freddie Sierra, Engr. “Ramboy” Ramirez, Ansbert “BoBo” Son, Jojo Lopez, Pesyong Resas, John Ragot at Kgd. Jessie “IGAN” Parion.

According to Prof. Sarah Raymundo, spokesperson of ACT TEACHERS party list, “there are many issues confronting teachers today and chief among them is having low salary and having little or no benefits at all. There is also the slow processing of Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) as well as anomalies in the agency which we think is using our money for the benefit of the current administration and not of us teachers and other government employees. In fact we are now preparing a case against GSIS chair Winston Garcia for the very anomalous transactions of the GSIS,”

“As for the elections, the training being done by COMELEC for teachers to master the automated election is way too late. Some teachers already failed in the training saying that they will need more time to master the PCOS machines. Another problem is that now teachers who are doing election duties only have 30 minutes to vote at their own precincts, so more likely than not more teachers will be disenfranchised due to this very limited time constraint,” added Raymundo.

Meanwhile Arlin Obiasca, chairman of ACT-Albay said, “In the provinces particularly here in Albay, we will find it very hard to vote in our own precincts especially if it is very far from where we are serving and transportation in the hinterlands is also very scarce. One more thing, electricity in Albay is not that good and it must be ensured that it will not fail during Election Day, at least generator sets for each polling precinct should be allotted,”

“We also see that more voters will have a hard time with the new system and may result in many voided ballots. This also means that it will take more time to assist the elderly and the uninitiated. Another problem is that then we are the ones who ensure the ballots but now a security key is just given to us, we do not even know if there is already a preprogrammed result,” added Obiasca.

“The automated election may be faster but it does not guarantee that no cheating will be done because there many factors like hacking, the military, etc. can interfere and highjack the elections. What we can do though is to be ever vigilant and guard against all kinds of cheating,” ended Raymundo. # # #

References:

Prof. Sarah Raymundo, spokesperson, ACT TEACHERS Party list

Arlin Obiasca, chairman, Alliance of Concerned Teachers-Albay (ACT-Albay)