MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) denied there were cheating during the first-ever online voting for overseas Filipino workers which started on Sunday.
According to Comelec chairman George Garcia, the QR code only confirmed that the vote was successfully cast and the information is encrypted to prevent it from being used as a receipt in cases of vote buying.
“Ibig sabihin puwede pa nila makita ‘yung encrypted votes nila kahit dalawang linggo na ang nakakalipas pero hindi nila makikita ‘yung pangalan ng mismong ibinoto nila kasi nga encrypted na,” Garcia said on Monday.
“Once na-cast ‘yung vote, encrypted na. Pero kahit kopyahin nila ‘yung mismong encrypted at ikumpara nila sa bawat araw na lilipas, pareho ‘yun, ibig sabihin ‘yun boto niya andun, na-preserve, hindi nagagalaw,” he added.
“’Yun naman ay proteksyon natin para hindi magamit sa pagbebenta ng boto pero andyan ‘yun at kung gusto nila mag-verify later kapag tapos na tayong magpaboto sa Mayo 12, ipi-print po ‘yan ng mismong post at makikita nila ‘yung mga binoto nila,” he further said.
Some OFWs who took part in the online voting have raised concerns after the QR code scanned for vote verification did not display the names of candidates they selected.
“Dun sa script minsan may nakalagay na pangalan ng isang kandidato pero hindi nangangahulugan na ‘yun ang binoto nila talagang ganun lang ‘yun kasi ‘yun ang purpose ng encryption,” Garcia said. “Security po ‘yun, to protect mismong mga boto natin.”
The Comelec said that 77 of the 93 Online Voting and Counting System (OVCS) posts abroad would use internet voting, where Filipinos could vote through their gadgets, such as cellphones, tablets, and laptops.
Meanwhile, Malacañang has called on overseas Filipino voters to vote for candidates who will be loyal to the Philippines and will not “sell” the country in any way.
“Gampanan niyo po ang inyong tungkulin bilang isang Pilipino. Bumoto po kayo nang nararapat. Bumoto po mula sa puso,” Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said on Monday.
“‘Wag bumoto nang dahil sa bulong o dahil kayo’y nabayaran, kundi iboto niyo po ang mga taong nararapat, ‘yung maasahan natin, mga lider na hindi ibebenta ang bansa kahit sa anumang paraan at mga lider na makabayan,” she added./PN
