Group sets up web-based citizens election watch

MANILA, Philippines - To ensure a fraud-free election, a poll watchdog has set up a web-based citizen’s election monitor for the country’s first automated elections.

Alfredo Pascual, AES Watch lead convener and president of the University of the Philippines Alumni Association (UPAA), said the monitoring operation was organized because of unresolved problems affecting the automated election system (AES).

Pascual said the AES Watch monitoring center will operate at Ang Bahay ng Alumni, Magsaysay Ave., at the UP campus in Diliman, Quezon City from today until May 12 or as needed to get developments in the automated elections.

“Since Comelec did not listen much, we saw the need for AES Watch to continue with the monitoring of the election process itself while continuing with the advocacy for transparent and credible elections.”

Pascual said the original mandate of AES Watch was just to monitor preparations of the AES, but organizers saw the need to continue it on election day until the next day.

AES Watch invited all conveners and concerned advocates to pitch in their help and support in AES monitoring that the Comelec is implementing today.

Its monitoring plan came at a late stage, but got a boost from young volunteers practicing in the field of information technology, Pascual said.

“Fortunately, we came across a team of young IT experts who were already working on a web-based election incidents reporting system using the Ushahidi platform, but did not have the logistical support for it. We also realized that some of our conveners, such as the CenPEG, Computer Professionals’ Union, and others, had already developed their respective monitoring systems,” he said.