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Thursday, May 13, 2004
Namfrel faces probe over slow count
By Marie Neri
FOR its slow count of election results, the National Citizens Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) may be investigated.
Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Mehol Sadain said Namfrel was tasked to deliver fast and quick tabulation of election returns but it failed to do so.
Sadain said it is surprising that Namfrel's quick count was "slow" even with the latest technology on hand that can be tapped in the submission and tabulation of election results.
"We will actually adopt a resolution inquiring with Namfrel as to what the problem seems to be because we intend to take this as a learning lesson for future elections," Sadain said, adding that even he himself has no idea what has slowed down the Namfrel count other than reported system failure.
Sadain also pointed out that Namfrel should have anticipated transmission problems and put necessary measures in the event of system failure.
While Namfrel said they would be able finish their quick count of election results in seven days, Sadain doubted it.
He said an analysis submitted by their information technology (IT) director Ernesto del Rosario indicated that Namfrel would not be able to complete their quick count in seven days at the rate that their tabulation is going.
"He is saying here that if the rate continues, meaning 0.4 percent, it would take them 8,250 hours or 344 days to finish the quick count or 15 days, if the 0.4 rate continues," according to a report of de los Reyes read by Commissioner Sadain.
Sadain likewise added that another reason that could have delayed the quick count of Namfrel is the absence of the citizens' arm representative who would get the 6th copy of the election returns.
Last Tuesday, Namfrel stopped its operation quick count after its system bogged down due to system overload as a result of the massive influx of data from their volunteers in many areas to the central system in the Namfrel tabulation center in De La Salle in Greenhills, San Juan.
(May 13, 2004 issue)
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