AES and the Problem with CF Cards

In an article by Pablo Manalastas of the Center for People's Empowerment and Governance, the same institution of our speaker last week, the problems with the CF cards days prior the 2010 elections had been one of the most serious security problems of the May elections.

In an article in the CENPEG website, he said -

That the CF card has nothing to do with the counting logic is the BIGGEST LIE ever to come from Comelec. The CF card contains data that are the very heart and soul of the counting logic, such that use of the wrong CF card produces wrong counts, and puts to question the entire result of the May 10, 2010 automated election.

This was in response to the statement of Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez that CF cards have nothing to do with the count.

Although the elections had been done with but a few difficulties during election day, the most serious issue that needs to be confronted by the COMELEC is its lack of transparency in the entire process of the automated elections.

Absent trust and transparency on the institution, no amount of pronouncements can convince the public that no breaches

From queries on the abrupt disabling of the built-in PCOS UV scanner to the reconfiguration of the CF cards, the COMELEC had only been churning out motherhood press statements on the absolute need to make the elections a success.

The COMELEC cannot run afoul with the legal requirements set for securing the ballot through the AES just because its election preparations had run late, or that the security equipment shall delay the processing the ballot.

It is much hoped that in the next national elections, the COMELEC shall address these concerns.

Terry Ridon