All over but the sourgraping

EDITORIAL

As the Commission on Elections is proclaiming left and right winning candidates, even as some losers are whining including former President Joseph Estrada. Despite poll automation, they claim of being cheated. They may have basis as according to some technology experts, results of election results could be rigged.

In far Paracelis in Mountain Province, some bets complained PCOS machines came out with zero votes considering they and their relatives voted for them. It’s nearly two weeks after the elections but in some places, the electoral body has yet to proclaim winners.

In many parts of the country in the past, proclamations have been delayed for three reasons: violence, poll frauds, and refusal of candidates to accept defeat. In some cases, there were valid reasons for protesting candidates to cry fraud and refused to concede. But other losers simply wanted to make life miserable for their political rivals.

This refusal to accept defeat, often lasting long after the election season is over and the winner has assumed office, has been a major hindrance to effective governance. The delivery of basic services suffers when local executives are distracted by the extension of election battles.

The country has enough problems without sore losers derailing the proclamations of their rivals. Local officials have a term of only three years, and those whose victories are not tainted by cheating should be allowed to serve their constituents in peace. With automation, problems on cheating have been lessened and losers have grudgingly accepted the results.

But then, there are still sore losers who should take the example set by two candidates for the town council in Bontoc, Mountain Province some years ago. They tossed a coin to determine the winner since they had a tie. This is legal under Comelec rules and the sore losers should be more sportsmanlike and accept defeat graciously unless they were indeed cheated.

Which goes back to the question: How credible were the PCOS machines in counting votes taking into account allegations of preprogramming of election results? Unless the Comelec and Smartmatic can convince the people on the veracity of election results through credible and honest means, poll automation would be viewed with skepticism.