Comelec: Mix of old, new voting systems for 2016 not final

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections said yesterday that the mixed voting system proposed by the Comelec Advisory Council (CAC) for the 2016 polls is not yet a done deal.

The CAC earlier proposed the reuse of the precinct count optical scan machines and the use of other voting technologies in 2016 as long as these are compatible with the canvassing and transmission systems.

But Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said the poll body is not obliged to adopt the CAC recommendation.

“CAC is only recommendatory. We are not compelled to accept their proposal. But we will review their recommendation and listen to what they have to say about it, and then we will make our final decision,” he said.

Aside from compatibility, Brillantes said budget is also a factor in determining which technology the Comelec would use for the 2016 elections.

The CAC is composed of nine members from the academe, electoral reform groups, information and communication technology experts and government agencies. It is headed by Science and Technology Undersecretary Louie Casambre.