Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Number of Minutes Open Per Day [E] 180 480 480 480
Total Number of Computer Minutes Available [F] = [DxE] 2700 7200 4800 7200 Total: 21900
Thistime,alreadyinsufficient,doesnotevenincludethenumerouscomplaintsregarding computererrorsandlagtimesduetoInternetconnectionproblems,whichcausedmany studentsgrief. UndueVoterFatigueduetoTechnicalErrorsandInconsistentAnnouncements COMELECsfirstargumentisthatthesystemerrorswereonlydiscoveredduringtheday ofextension(Feb.17),soonlythestudentswhowereaffectedbythesystemerror(i.e.students fromthe19courses)wereaffected.Whattheyfailedtoconsiderwasthatthefirstdaythatthey cited(Feb.12)onlyallowedthreehoursforelections,whichmeansthatthethirdfulldayof electionswasMonday,Feb.17.Evenbeforethisday,manystudentswerealreadycomplaining astowhytheirvotesdidnotseemtobecountedintheCOMELECtally,whichledtoconfusion andhesitationonthepartofthestudentstotrustCOMELECsautomatedsystem.Students hesitatedfromvotingbecauseofthenewscirculatingthatCOMELECssystemhada malfunction,which,weargue,doesnotprovidethestudentswiththeenvironmentnecessaryin ordertoconfidentlycasttheirvote.COMELECdidnotrespondbyprovidingproofthatthe systemworks.Instead,theysimplynotedthatcertaincoursescouldvoteonanotherday. However,thisleftmanyquestionsunanswered:howabouttheothercourses?Howdoweknow thatthosevoteswereallrecorded?Whatassurancedowehavethatifwevoteonthisday,our voteswillbetalliedandwontdisappearliketheothers?ThefactthatCOMELECwasnotableto providesufficientproofinordertoquellthegreatmistrustofstudentsthroughouttheprocessof electionsinthethirddayshowsthatstudentswerenotgiventhreewholedaysofbeingableto confidentlycasttheirvotes,anditwouldnotbefairifthiswerenotgiventothem. Theirsecondargumentisthattheyrespondedbyallowingtheuseofhardballotsinorder tocatertothestudentswhofeltthismistrust.However,whattheydidnotmentionisthatthis optionwasnotclearlypublicizedtothestudentbody.Ifstudentswouldonlyfindoutaboutthe possibilityofpaperballotsduringthetimewhentheyareactuallyvoting,thenCOMELECstillhas
notaddressedthepreviouslystatedquestionsandconcernsthatbredmistrustforthe automatedsystemamongstudents.Wedisagreethatthereasonthatstudentsmaynotwantto votebecauseofadistrustofthesystemwasaccountedforbylettingthesestudentsusethe hardballotsbecausebynotpublicizingadefinitivewaytoprovetostudentsthattheirvotescan becounted,beitthroughthefixingofthesystemorthroughhardballot,such disenfranchisementwasnotaddressed.Theideathatstudentsusedhardballotswasalso basedonobservation,whichmeansthatthereisnoevidencethatthehardballotsystemwas significantenoughinordertoresolvetheissueforthemajorityofAteneanswhowere disenfranchisedbythesystem. Theirlastargumentisthatthedisenfranchisementofthestudentsisunquantifiable.First ofall,itisveryapparentthatifstudentsfindoutthatcertainvoteshavenotbeenrecordedand thatthereareproblemswiththesystem,mistrustanddisenfranchisementwilloccur.Asking thosewhohavealreadyparticipatedintheelectoralprocesstodoitagainfurtheraggravatesthe matter.Somestudentshavevotedthreetimes,andthishascausedmuchmistrustamongthe students.Ifonewantstoseethis,oneneedonlylookatsocialmediatoknowthatthisisa problem.Studentshavegoneupabouttheissue,andignoringsuchanobviousissuewouldbe unjust.EvenTheGuidonnotes(inthisarticle: http://blueballot.theguidon.com/electoralmalfunctions/)thattheissueofelectoralmalfunctionsis asignificantcauseforthelowelectionturnoutandhascausedtheGeneralElectionstoberife withcontroversy.WearenotarguingthatCOMELEChadnottakenstepsinordertoamendthe problems.Whatwearesayingisthattheirefforts,duetoweakpublicityandlackofsolid evidence,havebeeninsufficientinordertoconvincethevotingpublicthatitwasalreadysafeto votegiventhecontextoftheissue(i.e.thelossofmomentumofelectionscomingfromthe bombthreat),themagnitudeofthedamagecausedbytheissue,thespreadofdoubtthroughout thestudentbody,andsoforth. Becauseofallthesereasons,wewouldliketorequestfortheStudentJudicialCourtto reviewCOMELECsdecision,andweaskforanextensionoftheGeneralElections.Thisisthe bestwaythatwebelievewecanproperlyaccountforthevoiceofthestudentbodygivenallthe issuesthathavetranspiredthroughouttheentireelectionprocessinorderforCOMELECtotruly fulfillitsresponsibilityoftoassurefreehonestandcleanelectionsasperArticleXIVSection3 (i)oftheConstitution.Thankyou. Undersigned, VanessadelRosario VPforInternals,Ignite RedentorJohnR.Dimla Chairperson,SchoolofHumanitiesBoard AntonioRafaelN.Elicao
SecretaryGeneral,Sanggunian PamelaGaerlan 2ndYearSOSECBRepresentative RayCristoferGomez 2ndYearJGSOMCBRepresentative GabrielCrisantoNolasco Constituent AlexandraFeliceTanjangco JGSOMSecretaryTreasurer JamesGregoryTieng Constituent RyanCarlY.Yu VicePresident,Sanggunian