Voting well

As we approach the home stretch of the 2013 elections, one cannot help but notice the tight race for the last six senatorial slots. Based on the latest April 13-15 SWS survey gauging voter preferences, the difference among those jostling for the 7th to the 16th places is 8% points while those occupying slots 10 to 16 only differ by 4% points. Coupled with a margin of error of +/-2 for national percentages, this is probably the closest race in recent memory. The foregoing provides greater impetus for voters to make educated and informed choices. They should be less swayed by shallow and subjective factors and rely more on rational and objective criteria.

In this regard, the benchmarking and assessment scorecard developed by the Movement of Good Governance (MGG) is a most helpful tool.

During its “Timbangan 2013” town hall meeting last April 17, MGG presented the audience with a guide to evaluate senatorial candidates based on a criteria of 3 Es — Effective, Empowering and Ethical Leadership. At the start of the event, an initial baseline poll was held among the voters. They were then introduced to the MGG scorecard and listened to the panel of experts - composed of UP’s Winnie Monsod, former Finance Secretary Bobby de Ocampo, former Comelec Commissioner Gus Lagman, former Negros Occidental Governor Lito Cosculluela and Ateneo School of Government’s Joy Aceron — convened to discuss the candidates based on said criteria.

At the end, another poll was held among the same “electorate”. What is interesting is how the “magic 12 list” markedly changed after the “voters” used the criteria provided and heard the panel evaluation. The top 12 that came out after the second vote were the following:

1. Ramon Magsaysay, Jr.

2. Koko Pimentel

3. Risa Hontiveros

4. JC De Los Reyes

5. Richard Gordon

6. Edward Hagedorn

7. Grace Poe Llamanzares

8. Teddy Casino

9. Sonny Angara

10. Bam Aquino

11. Jamby Madrigal

12. Chiz Escudero

The top vote-getter, Senator Ramon Magsaysay, Jr., was cited for his “impeccable character, his dedication and industry, especially his work on the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act.” Yet according to surveys, he remains at the fringes of the magic list.

Thanks to Gawad Haydee Yorac awardee, Dr. Nene Guevara, and the MGG for organizing fora that promote responsible voting. As we troop to the voting booth on election day, let us heed Laurie Buchanan’s wise words: “Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing.”

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Still on voting: Last February 9, I gave my four centavos to the then recently concluded mock elections. The PCOS machines were making headlines and pundits were raising concerns over the “glitches” found in the hardware.

Today, the spotlight is on the software. Many voices — and eyebrows — have been raised over the “source code” requirements of the automated election law. Some say it is an indispensible part of the law which may impact the validity of the election. Others have denied any legal consequence. But what is the source code and why is it important?

A source code is one side of a coin. On the other side is the binary code. Simply put, the former is readable by humans and the latter readable only by machines. But both are identical instructions for the operation of the PCOS machine.

As defined by Republic Act No. 9369, a source code is “human readable instructions that define what the computer equipment will do”. It has been likened to a “master blueprint” or a “recipe” and, indeed, the source code and binary code may be viewed as the same “recipe” written in two different languages.

Section 12 of R.A. 9369 provides that “once an AES [automated election system] technology is selected for implementation, the Commission shall promptly make the source code of that technology available and open to any interested political party or groups which may conduct their own review thereof.”

So reviewing the source code is important because it ensures that all the PCOS machines are following the same “recipe”. And with the problems faced during the mock elections, I can understand why certain quarters are feeling skeptical.

One would think obtaining the source code would be a simple matter of requesting for a copy from the software provider of the PCOS machines. Unfortunately, Smartmatic (the company COMELEC bought the PCOS machines from) and Dominion (the company which leased its software to Smartmatic) are currently embroiled in a legal battle, and the latter refuses to release the source code pending the lawsuit.

The source code really should have been turned over along with the PCOS machines. Since we won’t be getting it any time soon, Smartmatic may be facing another lawsuit, this time from COMELEC.

So what impact does the lack of a reviewable source code have on the 2013 elections? COMELEC Chairman Brillantes seems confident that it will have no significant implications. On the other hand, former Commissioner Lagman points out, “We don’t know if the machine read our ballot and counted the votes correctly. We don’t see how they’re done, not like the manual counting in front of the public. So the only way we can be confident that the results are correct is if we can review the source code.”

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Adventure time: Last Saturday morning, I was dragged by three of my four centavos to an Adventure Time activity. The principal characters of this Cartoon Network series are Finn, a boy who wears a silly hat, and Jake, a golden dog with beady eyes. Adventure Times chronicles the escapades of the two buddies as they traverse the mystical Land of Ooo and encounter colorful personalities along the way. The recurring theme of each episode is that friends should stick together through thick and thin.

Upon arrival at the Mall of Asia, we were greeted by a sea of children and parents, some of whom were wearing Adventure Time gear, patiently waiting in line to join the various activities. I was truly amazed with the cartoon’s dedicated followers. Kudos to Cartoon Network and Perceptions Inc. for hosting a fun and well-attended event.

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“There are three constants in life—change, choice and principles.”   â€“ Stephen Covey

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