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60 ENHANCING ELECTIONS AS INSTRUMENTS OF DEMOCRACY IN THE ASEAN REGION

COMELEC Challenges and Performance

Assessment

Even after the peaceful 1986 revolution that ended Martial Law,
Philippine elections continue to be marred with voter disenfranchisement,
election-related violence, fraud, voter intimidation, vote buying, poor

election administration infrastructure, use of political pressure to influence
the electoral process, and election protests.

COMELEC Resolution No. 7669 (dated May 4, 2006) recognized
that the COMELEC is “challenged with legal, political, environmental
and financial constraints resulting to negative public perception, low

credibility and low morale of its employees thus hindering it to perform
its function effectively and efficiently.” For Philippine elections to really

become credible, meaningful, fair, honest, orderly and peaceful, electoral
reform is fundamentally necessary.

The COMELEC and the Philippine Congress pushed for the
institution of an automated election system (AES) in an environment where
electoral legitimacy has been frequently questioned and criticized by

the public. Philippine elections are always faced with the dual challenge
of speed (especially in the vote counting and canvassing of results) and

fraud prevention. The AES was expected to increase the integrity of the
electoral process by limiting opportunities for fraud while creating a fast
and more efficient system of vote counting, transmission, and tabulation.

Republic Act No. 9369 states the rationale for the shift to an
automated system: (http://www.comelec.gov.ph/?r=References/Related-

Laws/ElectionLaws/AutomatedElection/RA9369)