Suspicious move

COMELEC Chairman Jose Melo may really be correct in saying that there is no way jamming devices could disrupt the holding of elections this coming May 10, 2010. But are there no other ways of having access to the operations of the first ever automated elections?

The following self-explanatory e-mail I received from a very reliable source could provide the answer. His story sounds plausible enough because of the nature of his work. There is no harm if COMELEC will look into it and consider some of his suggestions. The better way to prevent problems is to anticipate them.

“Here is a story I would like to share with you kasi bukas po ang loob ko sa inyo. Because of my work in ComNet, an Avaya and Cisco business partner, where I handle services, I received a call sometime in August 2009 from a subsidiary of the French Conglomerate EADS inquiring about maintenance support for an Avaya pabx they wanted installed for a local customer. Apparently it was just a minor part of their main project which was to install a satellite-based wide-area-network (WAN) covering 33 locations nationwide with its main dish in its QC head office. Everything is supposed to be up and running by March 2010. The customer is the Philippine Information Agency (PIA).

I’m not one to think ill of anyone but there are simply two technical facts to consider in this situation. Firstly, in a purely satellite-based WAN such as this, you effectively bypass all the Telcos. Telcos simply refer to communications infrastructure providers such as PLDT, Globe, Smart, Bayantel, etc. The Hello Garci scandal was captured because the conversation was via celfone. When you put up WAN you would normally depend on Telcos to provide the connectivity and that is what you are paying for. In this case however, the WAN utilized satellites through that French conglomerate’s subsidiary’s technology. This type of network architecture no longer requires the services of any Telco. It is effectively having you own private WAN. Secondly, networks can interconnect if provided the necessary IP address, login user id and password.

To my humble mind, Atty. Sison, it seems the question posed here is: “Can you access the data in a Comelec server remotely without passing through Telcos?. Here you have the answer.

The May elections is supposedly electronic. Obviously, Comelec will also need to store ballots cast electronically. Electronic in this context implies that servers will be needed to facilitate the transfer of information, meaning they will need to be networked or interconnected. In a network environment, any security measure, be it firewall or what have you is inutile if the intrusion or unauthorized access is initiated from within.

If Comelec IT administrator will also provide the necessary IP address, login user id and password to PIA, it will gain full access to the ballot database. The only way to frustrate this plan therefore would be to find an IT officer within Comelec who will not tolerate this scenario at any price and enlist his assistance, if such person does exist.

The problem is, from the looks of things, your article regarding the next Chief Justice supports a scenario which according to my sources envisions a failure of elections on the national level i.e. presidential and senatorial posts. This will necessitate Congress to convene and propose cha-cha. Only this time because they have installed their CJ, cha-cha will be upheld and Congress will install GMA as the new Prime Minister.

Meantime, I will never lose my trust and faith in God and our Lord. But sometimes sir, I have a hard time composing my prayer to God when I think about the bygone days of delicadeza and karangalan and the rape and pillage of our patria adorada by our politicians.”

Of course this story may sound highly speculative. But so many events have already happened in the past which at the start seem to be only products of speculation or imagination. To preserve the integrity and credibility of the automated elections, the COMELEC should plug all the loopholes by seriously considering the situations envisioned in this story.

Apparently automation does not entirely dispense with human intervention. People are still needed to run the machines. In this case, it appears that the IT administrator plays a very vital role that requires utmost trust and confidence. He must indeed be an upright, patriotic and God fearing person of unquestionable integrity and responsibility. Whether the COMELEC has already found such kind of person is more a matter of faith than a matter of fact.

PIA’s move to install a satellite based wide area network covering 33 locations should also be verified. Its purpose may be valid and reasonable as the facilities are appropriate for its functions but putting them up immediately before the elections really look suspicious. One cannot help but wonder why only now?

The coming elections is one of the most crucial for our country because of the peoples’ ardent longing for change in the kind of leaders and their manner of running the affairs of government. All signs particularly in the scandalously expensive campaigning and the conduct of the elections so far point to another ending where the real voice of the people will not be heard. Fortunately we still have enough time to pray and pray harder.

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