Chile was hit by an earthquake of 8.8 magnitude. Tsunamis threatened nations around the Pacific area.
For more of the news, the story below.
Huge quake hits Chile; tsunami threatens Pacific
By ROBERTO CANDIA and EVA VERGARA, Associated Press Writer Roberto Candia And Eva Vergara, Associated Press Writer – 13 mins ago
TALCA, Chile – A devastating earthquake struck Chile early Saturday, toppling homes, collapsing bridges and plunging trucks into the fractured earth. A tsunami set off by the magnitude-8.8 quake threatened every nation around the Pacific Ocean — roughly a quarter of the globe.
Interior Minister Edmundo Perez Yoma said the most powerful quake to hit the country in a half-century killed at least 82 people, but the death toll was rising quickly.
In the town of Talca, just 65 miles (105 kilometers) from the epicenter, Associated Press journalist Roberto Candia said it felt as if a giant had grabbed him and shaken him.
The town's historic center, filled with buildings of adobe mud and straw, largely collapsed, though most of those were businesses that were not inhabited during the 3:34 a.m. (1:34 a.m. EST, 0634 GMT) quake. Neighbors pulled at least five people from the rubble while emergency workers, themselves disoriented, asked for information from reporters.
Many roads were destroyed, and electricity, water and phone lines were cut to many areas — meaning there was no word of death or damage from many outlying areas.
In the Chilean capital of Santiago, 200 miles (325 kilometers) northeast of the epicenter, a car dangled from a collapsed overpass, the national Fine Arts Museum was badly damaged and an apartment building's two-story parking lot pancaked, smashing about 50 cars whose alarms rang incessantly.
Experts warned that a tsunami could strike anywhere in the Pacific, and Hawaii could face its largest waves since 1964 starting at 11:19 a.m. (4:19 p.m. EST, 2119 GMT), according to Charles McCreery, director of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
Tsunami waves were likely to hit Asian, Australian and New Zealand shores within 24 hours of the earthquake. The U.S. West Coast and Alaska, too, were threatened.
A huge wave swept into a populated area in the Robinson Crusoe Islands, 410 miles (660 kilometers) off the Chilean coast, President Michelle Bachelet said, but there were no immediate reports of major damage.
Bachelet had no information on the number of people injured. She declared a "state of catastrophe" in central Chile.
"We have had a huge earthquake, with some aftershocks," she said from an emergency response center. She said Chile has not asked for assistance from other countries, and urged Chileans not to panic.
"The system is functioning. People should remain calm. We're doing everything we can with all the forces we have. Any information we will share immediately," she said.
Powerful aftershocks rattled Chile's coast — 24 of them magnitude 5 or greater and one reaching magnitude 6.9 — the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
In Santiago, modern buildings are built to withstand earthquakes, but many older ones were heavily damaged, including the Nuestra Senora de la Providencia church, whose bell tower collapsed. A bridge just outside the capital also collapsed, and at least one car flipped upside down.
Several hospitals were evacuated due to earthquake damage, Bachelet said.
Santiago's airport will remain closed for at least 24 hours, airport director Eduardo del Canto said. The passenger terminal suffered major damage, he told Chilean television in a telephone interview. TV images show smashed windows, partially collapsed ceilings and pedestrian walkways destroyed.
Santiago's subway was shut as well and hundreds of buses were trapped at a terminal by a damaged bridge, Transportation and Telecommunications Minister told Chilean television. He urged Chileans to make phone calls or travel only when absolutely necessary.
Candia was visiting his wife's 92-year-old grandmother in Talca when the quake struck.
"Everything was falling — chests of drawers, everything," he said. "I was sleeping with my 8-year-old son Diego and I managed to cover his head with a pillow. It was like major turbulence on an airplane."
In Concepcion, 70 miles (115 kilometers) from the epicenter, nurses and residents pushed the injured through the streets on stretchers. Others walked around in a daze wrapped in blankets, some carrying infants in their arms.
Concepcion, Chile's second-largest city, is 60 miles (95 kilometers) from the ski town of Chillan, a gateway to Andean ski resorts that was destroyed in a 1939 earthquake.
The quake also shook buildings in Argentina's capital of Buenos Aires, 900 miles (1,400 kilometers) away on the Atlantic side of South America.
Marco Vidal, a program director for Grand Circle Travel who was traveling with a group of 34 Americans, was on the 19th floor of the Crown Plaza Santiago hotel when the quake struck.
"All the things start to fall. The lamps, everything, was going on the floor," he said. "I felt terrified."
Cynthia Iocono, from Linwood, Pennsylvania, said she first thought the quake was a train.
"But then I thought, `Oh, there's no train here.' And then the lamps flew off the dresser and my TV flew off onto the floor and crashed."
The quake struck after concert-goers had left South America's leading music festival in the coastal city of Vina del Mar, but it caught partiers leaving a disco.
"It was very bad. People were screaming. Some people were running, others appeared paralyzed. I was one of them," Julio Alvarez told Radio Cooperativa.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center called for "urgent action to protect lives and property" in Hawaii, which is among 53 nations and territories subject to tsunami warnings.
"Sea level readings indicate a tsunami was generated. It may have been destructive along coasts near the earthquake epicenter and could also be a threat to more distant coasts," the warning center said. It did not expect a tsunami along the west of the U.S. or Canada.
The largest earthquake ever recorded struck the same area of Chile on May 22, 1960. The magnitude-9.5 quake killed 1,655 people and left 2 million homeless. The tsunami that it caused killed people in Hawaii, Japan and the Philippines and caused damage to the west coast of the United States.
___
Eva Vergara reported from Santiago, Chile. Associated Press Television News cameraman Mauricio Cuevas in Santiago and AP writer Sandy Kozel in Washington contributed to this story.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
End of big website hacker training
Good news for the honest users of the Internet, and bad news for the would be hackers!
See story from BBC news about china's Closure of a big training website for hackers:
China shuts down training website for hackers
China has more internet users than any other country
China has closed down what is believed to be the country's biggest training website for hackers, state media has reported.
They say the site, Black Hawk Safety Net, gave lessons in hacking and sold downloads of malicious software.
The reports say three people suspected of running the site were arrested.
Hacking is a sensitive topic for China, especially since the internet giant Google recently threatened to pull out of the country.
Google said China-based hackers had attacked its operations but the Chinese government denied any involvement.
The hacker training operation openly recruited thousands of members online and provided them with cyber attack lessons and Trojan software, the China Daily and the Wuhan Evening News said.
Trojans, which can allow outside access to a computer when implanted, are used by hackers to illegally control computers.
Black Hawk Safety Net recruited more than 12,000 paying subscribers and collected more than seven million yuan ($1m: £650,000) in membership fees, while another 170,000 people had signed up for free membership, the paper said.
The Hubei government refused to comment on the reports.
It was unclear when the shutdown had taken place but the Black Hawk Safety Net site was unavailable on Monday.
Cyber attacks
In January Google threatened to pull out of China unless the government relented on censorship.
It said it had uncovered a computer attack that tried to plunder its software coding and the e-mail accounts of human rights activists protesting against Chinese policies.
Government officials have defended China's online censorship and said the country is the biggest victim of web attacks.
China has some 350 million internet users - more than any other country - and provides a lucrative search-engine market worth an estimated $1bn last year.
Google holds about a third of the country's search market, with Chinese rival Baidu having more than 60%.
The BBC's Damian Grammaticas in Beijing says that the reports made no link between the hacking site and Google's allegations.
But the case will help authorities show that China is taking action against those who hack into computers, says our correspondent.
Keep on praying. The good will prevail over the evil!
See story from BBC news about china's Closure of a big training website for hackers:
China shuts down training website for hackers
China has more internet users than any other country
China has closed down what is believed to be the country's biggest training website for hackers, state media has reported.
They say the site, Black Hawk Safety Net, gave lessons in hacking and sold downloads of malicious software.
The reports say three people suspected of running the site were arrested.
Hacking is a sensitive topic for China, especially since the internet giant Google recently threatened to pull out of the country.
Google said China-based hackers had attacked its operations but the Chinese government denied any involvement.
The hacker training operation openly recruited thousands of members online and provided them with cyber attack lessons and Trojan software, the China Daily and the Wuhan Evening News said.
Trojans, which can allow outside access to a computer when implanted, are used by hackers to illegally control computers.
Black Hawk Safety Net recruited more than 12,000 paying subscribers and collected more than seven million yuan ($1m: £650,000) in membership fees, while another 170,000 people had signed up for free membership, the paper said.
The Hubei government refused to comment on the reports.
It was unclear when the shutdown had taken place but the Black Hawk Safety Net site was unavailable on Monday.
Cyber attacks
In January Google threatened to pull out of China unless the government relented on censorship.
It said it had uncovered a computer attack that tried to plunder its software coding and the e-mail accounts of human rights activists protesting against Chinese policies.
Government officials have defended China's online censorship and said the country is the biggest victim of web attacks.
China has some 350 million internet users - more than any other country - and provides a lucrative search-engine market worth an estimated $1bn last year.
Google holds about a third of the country's search market, with Chinese rival Baidu having more than 60%.
The BBC's Damian Grammaticas in Beijing says that the reports made no link between the hacking site and Google's allegations.
But the case will help authorities show that China is taking action against those who hack into computers, says our correspondent.
Keep on praying. The good will prevail over the evil!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Philippine Presidential Candidates
In this morning's debate organized by the Daily Inquirer and held in University of the Philippines (UP), eight candidates for presidency showed up. Estrada did not show up because of what he said that the Daily Inquirer is biased against him.
It is interesting to note the responses of the candidates on these topics: law and politics, social issues, and economics and budget.
1. Noynoy Aquino -if elected, he would not recognize the Justice of the Supreme court appointed by GMA, that he would uphold the Constitution
2. Richard Gordon - that he would do what he did in Subic, but he would start on a smaller scale. He criticized other candidates by saying that they are poor, but their records show the opposite.
3. Jamby Madrigal -that she should not be hiding under executive privilege, and that her husband would not be involved in her office.
when asked what she likes about Manny Villar, she responded with: she liked the way Villar's hair is dyed.
4. Manny Villar - when asked about his roots, he retorted:"Bakit naman ho napakahirap na sabihin or isipin na ang isang mahirap ay pwedeng yumaman ng malinis na paraan?"
5. Gilbert Teodoro - when asked about the order of importance of his mother-in-law, GMA, and Danding Cojuangco, he said his mother -in-law is number one because there would be no daughter and no wife without the mother-in-law. Cojuangco and GMA are co-equal. And if any of the three are faced with criminal charges, he would not interfere.
6.Eddie Villanueva - favors gays in the politics saying that:"Everyone has equal status before the eyes of law, regardless of sex, religion. I am against all forms of discrimination,"
7. Nicanor Perlas - if elected, he will create a civil society groups, to show a balance of power between the three sectors: business, civil society and government
8. JC de los Reyes - his stand on the Supreme court's granting of city status of 16 municipalities. He said that he is against it because they failed to pass the requirements for city.
Based on the above answers, are we ready for the best candidate for the highest position in the land. One may project a different person and not show his true heart. We can only do the proper discernment through the help of our Lord, Jesus.
It is interesting to note the responses of the candidates on these topics: law and politics, social issues, and economics and budget.
1. Noynoy Aquino -if elected, he would not recognize the Justice of the Supreme court appointed by GMA, that he would uphold the Constitution
2. Richard Gordon - that he would do what he did in Subic, but he would start on a smaller scale. He criticized other candidates by saying that they are poor, but their records show the opposite.
3. Jamby Madrigal -that she should not be hiding under executive privilege, and that her husband would not be involved in her office.
when asked what she likes about Manny Villar, she responded with: she liked the way Villar's hair is dyed.
4. Manny Villar - when asked about his roots, he retorted:"Bakit naman ho napakahirap na sabihin or isipin na ang isang mahirap ay pwedeng yumaman ng malinis na paraan?"
5. Gilbert Teodoro - when asked about the order of importance of his mother-in-law, GMA, and Danding Cojuangco, he said his mother -in-law is number one because there would be no daughter and no wife without the mother-in-law. Cojuangco and GMA are co-equal. And if any of the three are faced with criminal charges, he would not interfere.
6.Eddie Villanueva - favors gays in the politics saying that:"Everyone has equal status before the eyes of law, regardless of sex, religion. I am against all forms of discrimination,"
7. Nicanor Perlas - if elected, he will create a civil society groups, to show a balance of power between the three sectors: business, civil society and government
8. JC de los Reyes - his stand on the Supreme court's granting of city status of 16 municipalities. He said that he is against it because they failed to pass the requirements for city.
Based on the above answers, are we ready for the best candidate for the highest position in the land. One may project a different person and not show his true heart. We can only do the proper discernment through the help of our Lord, Jesus.
Sugar price on the Up Trend
Sugar price is on the up trend. I can forego cakes, ice cream, and other sweets but not my coffee with sugar.
For more story on the global sugar shortage brought by adverse weather, read below:
Sugar Shortage to Exceed Forecast on Adverse Weather
Sugar Shortage to Exceed Forecast on Adverse Weather
By Thomas Kutty Abraham
A global sugar shortage, which drove prices to the highest level in three decades, will be 43 percent more than estimated as adverse weather crimps crops in Mexico, China and Thailand, broker Jonathan Kingsman said.
The shortfall may expand to 11.92 million metric tons in the season ending April 30, compared with 8.32 million tons forecast in October, said Kingsman, managing director of the Switzerland-based company told a conference in Dubai today.
Kingsman SA joins the International Sugar Organization in predicting the global deficit to persist for a third year. Raw- sugar reached a 29-year high on Feb. 1 after more than doubling in 2009 as adverse weather curbed production in Brazil and India, the top producers. The shortfall may exceed 7.25 million tons forecast in November, the London-based ISO said Feb. 5.
“It appears that global stocks will remain extremely tight into 2011, given the extraordinarily tight situation in the market,” Tom McNeill, a senior partner and head of research at Kingsman, said in a statement issued before the conference.
India, the biggest user, may need to import an extra 2.5 million to 3 million tons this season to meet a 7 million ton deficit, Kingsman said in an interview yesterday. Pakistan, Asia’s third-biggest consumer, which stopped taxing imports, plans to buy 1.25 million tons by June.
China, the biggest consumer after India, may have a deficit of 3.3 million tons this year after drought and cold weather cut yields, the Guangxi Bulk Sugar Exchange Center said last month. Vietnam may import 100,000 tons to stabilize prices, Tuoi Tre newspaper reported. Thailand, the second-biggest exporter, may produce 7.2 million tons in the year started in November, less than the previous forecast of 7.62 million tons, the country’s industry regulator said Feb. 3.
‘Large Quantities’
“A lot of buying is yet to come,” Kingsman said. “India, Pakistan and Vietnam need large quantities.”
Global sugar output may total 150.93 million tons, trailing demand of 162.85 million tons, he told the conference today.
Still, the world may return to a surplus of about 3.99 million tons in the 2010-11 season as production increases in Brazil and India, Kingsman said. Global sugar stockpiles will remain tight as users rebuild inventory after two years of record deficits, the brokerage said.
“Although we’re expecting production to recover in India and Brazil, we also expect consumption to get back on track as economies grow,” Kingsman said. “This will provide some relief to importing countries and allow recovery in depleted stocks.”
Raw-sugar futures for March delivery declined 5.3 percent to 26.17 cents a pound in New York on Feb. 5, the most since Oct. 9, as a rally in the dollar eroded the appeal of commodities and a slump in equities revived concern that the economic recovery may stall. The Reuters/Jefferies CRB Index of 19 raw materials slipped to the lowest level since October.
The slump in sugar, a result of selling in commodities by institutional investors, hasn’t changed the fundamentals of the sweetener as import demand will exceed exports, said Kingsman.
Editors: Ravil Shirodkar, Richard Dobson
To contact the reporter on this story: Thomas Kutty Abraham in Dubai at +91-98672-55201 or tabraham4@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: James Poole at +65-6212-1551 or jpoole4@bloomberg.net
For more story on the global sugar shortage brought by adverse weather, read below:
Sugar Shortage to Exceed Forecast on Adverse Weather
Sugar Shortage to Exceed Forecast on Adverse Weather
By Thomas Kutty Abraham
A global sugar shortage, which drove prices to the highest level in three decades, will be 43 percent more than estimated as adverse weather crimps crops in Mexico, China and Thailand, broker Jonathan Kingsman said.
The shortfall may expand to 11.92 million metric tons in the season ending April 30, compared with 8.32 million tons forecast in October, said Kingsman, managing director of the Switzerland-based company told a conference in Dubai today.
Kingsman SA joins the International Sugar Organization in predicting the global deficit to persist for a third year. Raw- sugar reached a 29-year high on Feb. 1 after more than doubling in 2009 as adverse weather curbed production in Brazil and India, the top producers. The shortfall may exceed 7.25 million tons forecast in November, the London-based ISO said Feb. 5.
“It appears that global stocks will remain extremely tight into 2011, given the extraordinarily tight situation in the market,” Tom McNeill, a senior partner and head of research at Kingsman, said in a statement issued before the conference.
India, the biggest user, may need to import an extra 2.5 million to 3 million tons this season to meet a 7 million ton deficit, Kingsman said in an interview yesterday. Pakistan, Asia’s third-biggest consumer, which stopped taxing imports, plans to buy 1.25 million tons by June.
China, the biggest consumer after India, may have a deficit of 3.3 million tons this year after drought and cold weather cut yields, the Guangxi Bulk Sugar Exchange Center said last month. Vietnam may import 100,000 tons to stabilize prices, Tuoi Tre newspaper reported. Thailand, the second-biggest exporter, may produce 7.2 million tons in the year started in November, less than the previous forecast of 7.62 million tons, the country’s industry regulator said Feb. 3.
‘Large Quantities’
“A lot of buying is yet to come,” Kingsman said. “India, Pakistan and Vietnam need large quantities.”
Global sugar output may total 150.93 million tons, trailing demand of 162.85 million tons, he told the conference today.
Still, the world may return to a surplus of about 3.99 million tons in the 2010-11 season as production increases in Brazil and India, Kingsman said. Global sugar stockpiles will remain tight as users rebuild inventory after two years of record deficits, the brokerage said.
“Although we’re expecting production to recover in India and Brazil, we also expect consumption to get back on track as economies grow,” Kingsman said. “This will provide some relief to importing countries and allow recovery in depleted stocks.”
Raw-sugar futures for March delivery declined 5.3 percent to 26.17 cents a pound in New York on Feb. 5, the most since Oct. 9, as a rally in the dollar eroded the appeal of commodities and a slump in equities revived concern that the economic recovery may stall. The Reuters/Jefferies CRB Index of 19 raw materials slipped to the lowest level since October.
The slump in sugar, a result of selling in commodities by institutional investors, hasn’t changed the fundamentals of the sweetener as import demand will exceed exports, said Kingsman.
Editors: Ravil Shirodkar, Richard Dobson
To contact the reporter on this story: Thomas Kutty Abraham in Dubai at +91-98672-55201 or tabraham4@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: James Poole at +65-6212-1551 or jpoole4@bloomberg.net
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Big Fire in Caloocan
Another big fire which lasted for almost nine hours and rendered 1,000 families homeless occurred in Caloocan City, Philippines.
For details of the news, read below:
Big fire in Caloocan City leaves 1,000 families homeless
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:24:00 02/08/2010
Big fire in Caloocan City leaves 1,000 families homeless
Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines – Scores of people in Caloocan City lost their homes in a huge fire that raged through a slum area for nearly nine hours from Saturday evening to Sunday morning, fire authorities said.
Almost 500 shanties were gutted and more than 1,000 families were displaced in the blaze that struck the Philippine National Railways compound on Samson Road, officials said.
Damage to property reached at least P5 million but investigators later said this was only a conservative estimate and that the actual losses could run to much more. Although there were reports of minor injuries, no one was seriously hurt.
The fire started at about 6:25 p.m. in the house of Virgilio Corsino, a report by SFO4 Randy Resurreccion and SFO1 Edwin Buenaventura said.
The arson investigators said the fire could have been sparked by a burning electrical wire that came into contact with the rubber hose of a liquefied petroleum gas tank.
Reaching the general alarm or the highest alert level during emergencies, the fire spread quickly through the colony of shanties made of mostly light and combustible materials.
The fire was put out at about 3 a.m. and displaced families took shelter on the sidewalks and vacant lots as they waited for city officials to set up temporary evacuation centers.
DJ Yap
Let's hope and pray that the people affected could recover soon and that charitable people would come to their rescue.
Remember, we can not outdo God.
For details of the news, read below:
Big fire in Caloocan City leaves 1,000 families homeless
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:24:00 02/08/2010
Big fire in Caloocan City leaves 1,000 families homeless
Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines – Scores of people in Caloocan City lost their homes in a huge fire that raged through a slum area for nearly nine hours from Saturday evening to Sunday morning, fire authorities said.
Almost 500 shanties were gutted and more than 1,000 families were displaced in the blaze that struck the Philippine National Railways compound on Samson Road, officials said.
Damage to property reached at least P5 million but investigators later said this was only a conservative estimate and that the actual losses could run to much more. Although there were reports of minor injuries, no one was seriously hurt.
The fire started at about 6:25 p.m. in the house of Virgilio Corsino, a report by SFO4 Randy Resurreccion and SFO1 Edwin Buenaventura said.
The arson investigators said the fire could have been sparked by a burning electrical wire that came into contact with the rubber hose of a liquefied petroleum gas tank.
Reaching the general alarm or the highest alert level during emergencies, the fire spread quickly through the colony of shanties made of mostly light and combustible materials.
The fire was put out at about 3 a.m. and displaced families took shelter on the sidewalks and vacant lots as they waited for city officials to set up temporary evacuation centers.
DJ Yap
Let's hope and pray that the people affected could recover soon and that charitable people would come to their rescue.
Remember, we can not outdo God.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
The Philippine Election and Communication Jamming
The Philippines is going into its first automated election, to speed up results and to avoid cheating in the election. Alas, it seems that someone or some people have imported jamming devices to slow down the election and allow for cheating. You cheaters, "vengeance is not ours, it is God's."
This is one of the downsides of the modern technology.
Read the story below:
Jammers threaten polls
Cheaters may delay counting
By Cathy C. Yamsuan
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Filed Under: Computing & Information Technology, Elections, Eleksyon 2010, Telecommunications Equipment
MANILA, Philippines—Cell phone jammers may be out to disrupt the country’s first nationwide automated elections in May.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) Monday said that it had received reports as early as three weeks ago that a shipment of 5,000 jamming devices had entered the country.
“It arrived in one bulk, which made it noticeable,” said Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez.
Given the proximity of the election, he said: “We cannot help but be suspicious. And it’s only prudent that we remain suspicious.”
Jimenez declined to give details, but said there was reason to believe that the devices could be used to delay the transmission of election results.
Comelec officials, who tested last week the automated counting machines in the field, used signals provided by telecommunication companies in transmitting results.
“Delay in the transmission of results makes it profitable for those who want to cheat. The delay gives them time to calculate how many more votes they need to win or overturn the lead of their opponents,” Jimenez explained in Filipino.
“Speed should be preserved. The Comelec is now in a more active form of defensive game, a proactive form of defense. This has become a crucial game of one-upmanship,” he said.
“Certain people are afraid of the change that automation would bring,” he added.
Jimenez said the use of jammers in the country was not considered illegal.
“I know of at least one church that uses jammers so that the service is not interrupted. So there is really nothing extraordinary about these jammers, except that the shipment is in a large quantity. Five thousand or more units brought in is a little more worrisome,” he said.
Countermeasures
Although the Comelec is still verifying the information, Jimenez said it had “countermeasures to protect against loss of signal or absence of signal. That is the first thing we are paying attention to.”
Jimenez also said jammers were “not superdevices.”
“There is such a thing as a unit that jams the jammer. I don’t know what it’s called but it can jam what is jamming you,” he said.
Asked whether the Comelec had procured the anti-jammer, he said: “That’s a secret. If I have a jammer, why should I tell you?”
Still, Jimenez said that the Comelec’s contract with Smartmatic Asia to provide the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) or automated counting machines included security. He did not elaborate.
Investigations
Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales said his agency would look into the Comelec concerns.
“I have instructed the customs intelligence section to look into the reports. I will get a report from the team of intelligence operations,” Morales said in a text message to the Inquirer.
The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is unaware of the shipment, said Director Edgardo V. Cabarios.
“All radio transmitting devices need NTC permits before being brought into the country. To my knowledge, the NTC has not approved any shipment of signal jammers,” Cabarios said.
He said the NTC could start an investigation, but pointed out finding these devices would be difficult.
“These are hard to detect because they can be really small,” Cabarios said.
Howard Calleja, legal counsel of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), expressed confidence that jammers would not disrupt the balloting.
Satellite transmission
“Even if the cell phones used to transmit the data are jammed, there’s still the alternative of satellite transmission,” Calleja said.
He said the system used by Comelec’s counting machines would be very difficult to hack. “If you cannot do the sabotage, you cannot disrupt the vote,” he said.
Eric Alvia, secretary general of the National Citizens Movement for Free Elections, said: “I hope Comelec and Smartmatic have a solution to mitigate this threat.” With reports from Jerome Aning and Paolo G. Montecillo
This jamming plan should be thwarted. Let's add a short prayer for a clean and honest election. Ask for God's mercy right after the "Three O'Clock Habit"
This is one of the downsides of the modern technology.
Read the story below:
Jammers threaten polls
Cheaters may delay counting
By Cathy C. Yamsuan
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Filed Under: Computing & Information Technology, Elections, Eleksyon 2010, Telecommunications Equipment
MANILA, Philippines—Cell phone jammers may be out to disrupt the country’s first nationwide automated elections in May.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) Monday said that it had received reports as early as three weeks ago that a shipment of 5,000 jamming devices had entered the country.
“It arrived in one bulk, which made it noticeable,” said Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez.
Given the proximity of the election, he said: “We cannot help but be suspicious. And it’s only prudent that we remain suspicious.”
Jimenez declined to give details, but said there was reason to believe that the devices could be used to delay the transmission of election results.
Comelec officials, who tested last week the automated counting machines in the field, used signals provided by telecommunication companies in transmitting results.
“Delay in the transmission of results makes it profitable for those who want to cheat. The delay gives them time to calculate how many more votes they need to win or overturn the lead of their opponents,” Jimenez explained in Filipino.
“Speed should be preserved. The Comelec is now in a more active form of defensive game, a proactive form of defense. This has become a crucial game of one-upmanship,” he said.
“Certain people are afraid of the change that automation would bring,” he added.
Jimenez said the use of jammers in the country was not considered illegal.
“I know of at least one church that uses jammers so that the service is not interrupted. So there is really nothing extraordinary about these jammers, except that the shipment is in a large quantity. Five thousand or more units brought in is a little more worrisome,” he said.
Countermeasures
Although the Comelec is still verifying the information, Jimenez said it had “countermeasures to protect against loss of signal or absence of signal. That is the first thing we are paying attention to.”
Jimenez also said jammers were “not superdevices.”
“There is such a thing as a unit that jams the jammer. I don’t know what it’s called but it can jam what is jamming you,” he said.
Asked whether the Comelec had procured the anti-jammer, he said: “That’s a secret. If I have a jammer, why should I tell you?”
Still, Jimenez said that the Comelec’s contract with Smartmatic Asia to provide the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) or automated counting machines included security. He did not elaborate.
Investigations
Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales said his agency would look into the Comelec concerns.
“I have instructed the customs intelligence section to look into the reports. I will get a report from the team of intelligence operations,” Morales said in a text message to the Inquirer.
The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is unaware of the shipment, said Director Edgardo V. Cabarios.
“All radio transmitting devices need NTC permits before being brought into the country. To my knowledge, the NTC has not approved any shipment of signal jammers,” Cabarios said.
He said the NTC could start an investigation, but pointed out finding these devices would be difficult.
“These are hard to detect because they can be really small,” Cabarios said.
Howard Calleja, legal counsel of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), expressed confidence that jammers would not disrupt the balloting.
Satellite transmission
“Even if the cell phones used to transmit the data are jammed, there’s still the alternative of satellite transmission,” Calleja said.
He said the system used by Comelec’s counting machines would be very difficult to hack. “If you cannot do the sabotage, you cannot disrupt the vote,” he said.
Eric Alvia, secretary general of the National Citizens Movement for Free Elections, said: “I hope Comelec and Smartmatic have a solution to mitigate this threat.” With reports from Jerome Aning and Paolo G. Montecillo
This jamming plan should be thwarted. Let's add a short prayer for a clean and honest election. Ask for God's mercy right after the "Three O'Clock Habit"
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