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"