Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 18) — The Philippine Postal Corporation is in the process of enhancing its current system with full computerization expected to be completed by April or May this year.
At Thursday’s hearing of the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms on the proposed mail-in voting system, Engr. Josel Zamudio, officer-in-charge of PHLPost, said the infrastructure needed for mail-in voting, including computerized mail processing, would be in place by May 2022 in time for the national elections.
“In terms of voting, we might require additional support from the government,” he said. “We might hire additional personnel to support this mail-in voting.”
Sen. Imee Marcos, chairperson of the committee, suggested conducting pilot testing in areas where the postal service is most efficient to see if mail-in voting can be done.
“Nabanggit na nila na pwede siguro kung i-pilot na lang,” Marcos said. “Kasi first time natin sumubok. Is that something we can do? Yung postal service at Comelec have agreed there are areas where the postal service pinaka-efficient, pinaka-reliable, at matututukan, doon tayo magpa-pilot.”
[Translation: They mentioned if a pilot test can be done. Because this will be our first time to try. Is that something we can do? The postal service and Comelec (Commission on Elections) have agreed there are areas where the postal service is very efficient, reliable and where it can be monitored, we can do the pilot test there.]
Comelec Commissioner Marlon Casquejo said the pilot testing can be done once a law is passed allowing for the conduct of mail-in voting.
“All we need is the assurance from the postal office that the ballot will arrive not later than the election, the return of the ballot kasi baka doon tayo magkakaroon ng problema, baka tapos na election tapos may darating pa na ballot,” Casquejo pointed out. “But I think the postal office naman is very competent and well, because of their computerization kaya naman nila.”
[Translation: All we need is the assurance from the postal office that the ballot will arrive not later than the election, we might have a problem with the ballot returns, it could be the elections are over and ballots might still be coming in. But I think our postal service is very competent and because of their computerization, they can do it.]
However, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting expressed concern over the authentication of the identity of voters in a mail-in voting scenario.
“For example, they will be mailing their ballots, perhaps the identity of the voter at the onset, at the beginning, should be part of the guidelines. But if it will be pilot tested, I think that can be done,” said Maria Isabel Buenaobra, executive director of PPCRV.
Zamudio said voters can present their postal ID or Comelec ID to validate their identity.
“We usually ask for that as a validation. May QR code na rin to verify using mobile devices, it can be verified kung siya talaga yun… kung meron siyang voter’s ID pwede rin po yun,” Zamudio said.
[Translation: We usually ask for that as validation. There is also a QR code to verify using mobile devices. People’s identities can be verified…if they have a voter’s ID, it can also be used.]
Teopisto Elnas, director of Comelec’s Project Management Office, admitted it would be difficult to validate one’s identity in mail-in voting.
“Magiging template natin dito yung sa postal voting ng overseas wherein once ma-establish na doon siya nakatira, pinapadalahan na natin or per registration records ng botante, kung ano address, doon pinapadala,” Elnas explained. “Yun lang ang mahirap sa postal voting, you don’t have the process of identification unlike sa actual voting. Mahirap yung identity before the ballots will be received, medyo mahihirapan tayo.”
[Translation: Our template here will be the postal voting done overseas wherein once it is established that they live abroad we can send them the ballot, or per their registration records, we can send it to their address. But the difficult thing with postal voting, you don’t have the process of identification unlike in actual voting. It’s difficult to verify the identity before the ballots will be received.]
