I HAVE it from a reliable source that the people were fooled into thinking that the contract Comelec entered into was with the Venezuelan-connected Dutch incorporated foreign company, Smartmatic. It is not. It is with a Philippine registered corporation called Smartmatic Sahi Technology Inc, incorporated only on March 25, 2008, whose primary shareholder is Cezar Quiambao and his family.
Quiambao is a golfing buddy of the First Gentleman who gets huge computer and infrastructure contracts from government and also involved with the scandalous Redstock case. The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Philippine base Smartmatic Sahi is Juan Villa Jr. Sahi teamed up with a local company called TIM registered in 1991 in the Philippinesûengaged in the manufacture of doors and windows. They were known as Total Interiors Manufacturing. They amended their articles of incorporation in December 2008 to now include telecommunications as part of their business. They now want TIM to be understood as Total Information Management.
One can check the internet on this under the name of ôJuan Villa Jrö. From the same internet source one will also be shocked to learn that Smartmatic Sahi was involved in the Maguindanao elections in 2008 even before it was incorporated. They also make it appear that the Venezuelan Company was the one involved with Comelec by putting the names of some of the officers of the foreign company in their papers like Cesar Flores and Amando R. Yanes.
Following are the scenarios that may evolve today, the election day: GMA and FG and their co-conspirators like Ronnie Puno et al know and maybe planned it as such that the effect of a non-credible election is that Noynoy supporters will not accept the results if Noynoy loses. This will result in mass demonstrations and some skirmishes between the police and demonstrators causing some individuals to be killed or hurt. Then some bombs are mysteriously exploded blaming unknown parties or even the communists. At this point they can do anything with impunity as they own all the levers of power: the Comelec, the most important military commands, the Supreme Court, and the Department of Justice.
Recently, several business groupsûthe Makati Business Club, the Philippine Bar Association and the National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections and IT experts proposed that Comelec conduct a parallel manual count in the races for president, vice president, and mayors to protect the integrity of the first automated election system and prevent cheating. They said that the parallel manual count would verify the accuracy of the PCOS machines, thus, giving credibility to the elections.
Malacanang Palace vehemently opposed a parallel manual count. Why? If Gloria had nothing to hide, she should welcome the proposal to demonstrate without a shadow of doubt that AES works and that the PCOS "source card" is not compromised and fraudulently programmed to do an "electronic Garci" cheating operation.
Three presidential candidates who are linked to Gloria are also in opposition to parallel manual count. They are Manny Villar, Gilbert "Gibo" Teodoro, and Richard "Dick" Gordon.
Noynoy and the remaining five presidential candidates are in favor of parallel manual count.
However, in the event of an "electronic Garci" cheating operation, Noynoy would be the big loser since he is the frontrunner and ahead by 12% to 18% of his nearest rival, Villar.
An "electronic Garci" cheating operation would benefit either Villar or Teodoro. However, since Teodoro is way behind Noynoyûby as much as 30% would be easier to cheat for Villar. Villar has been tagged as "Villarroyo" on account of recent actions by Gloria, her husband Mike, and Gloria's top lieutenants and allies such as Chavit Singson, some in the Garcia family dynasty of Cebu, and Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales, all of whom have openly endorsed Villar.
The fact that "ownership" of Smartmatic-TIM has become an issue lately, Comelec should must! allow a parallel manual count to prevent a situation that could push the country to the brink of anarchy.
Comelec has a grand opportunity to redeem itself from the ignominy of the 2004 and 2007 elections cheatings perpetrated by the ôGarci boysö and prove that it is capable of protecting the democratic institutions for which it was created. (For your comments email: arnvv@yahoo.com or call: 851-9809)