IN THE March 16, 2010 issue of PDI, the Comelec spokesman was quoted as follows:
"Results will be posted pronto in real time as they are spewed by a computing machine on a website."
However, in the same vein he says the site will not show a running total as "the poll body was not required to add up the results of the precinct voting or to provide a running tally on the website....this would be an additional burden for the site...as far as transparency is concerned, all of the data is there."
Geez, I'm totally lost on the Comelec's logic (or lack of it). I thought we spent billions on automation to give everyone (all the 90 million Filipinos) fast information on the results of the elections? That's what automation is all about, whether in an election or in any other activity: having the right information in our fingertips in an instant.
With more than 76,000 precincts nationwide spewing data to the website right after the voting ends, does the Comelec expect us to be holding adding machines or calculators in front of our computers and adding each tally as they appear in the website? C'mon, give us a break.
On the statement of Atty. Jimenez that accumulating the tallies as they come will be an additional burden to the site: I'm a former computer programmer myself and I can assure him that adding numbers, even by the billions, is one of the easiest jobs of a computer program. In this case, I'm sure it will not use up one percent of the site's capability.
Actually, the heaviest load to the site is the simultaneous uploading of results by the different precincts nationwide coinciding with millions of people accessing the site to view the results. Theoretically, it could cause what is technically known as distributed denial-of-service (DDoS), if the Comelec's server is not robust enough. In layman's terms, DDoS is a website crash due to oversaturation in a short period of time. Has the Comelec taken the necessary precautions against DDoS?
Finally, please Comelec, publish the running totals for each candidate as they are uploaded by the PCOS machines. Live up to the real meaning of automation.
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Last March, I accompanied my mother to the SSS regional office in Davao City to process her benefits related to the passing away of my father. So many people were transacting business at the office every single day.
But I'd like to congratulate the SSS management for a very systematic and orderly operation. Most importantly, the SSS staffs were friendly, patient, courteous and accommodating. May their tribe increase in the government.
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A while back I wrote in this column the appeal of the Rotary Club of South Davao (RCSD) for donations of useful books, clothings, cash, etc. from the public, to be dropped at The Generics Pharmacy, former RMC Building, A. Pichon (Magallanes) St., Davao City (c/o this writer). These will be donated in turn to the less fortunate in the city. The first Good Samaritan who responded to that call is Ms. Lourdes Naparan of DCNHS who donated a music book. Thank you, ma'm, and may we have more kind souls coming forward with their donations soon.
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Last week, I promised to write today about the paradox of rural development as a way of improving the lives of urban dwellers. My apologies, the article isn't quite completed yet. I'll have it by next Monday.
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If you are not sure or have forgotten your precinct where to vote on May 10, check it online at http://is.gd/bFAuZ. Just enter your name and birth date.
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