By Jeffrey Damicog
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) Friday said that the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) was among those who agreed to use the transmission router which the poll watchdog has called the controversial “meet-me-room” network set-up.
Comelec spokesman James Jimenez
(MANILA BULLETIN)
Comelec Spokesman James Jimenez disclosed that as early as January 17 NAMFREL was among those who agreed to use the transmission router.
Last January 17, the Comelec held a consultation with stakeholders which included NAMFREL and the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) which is conducting the parallel count.
“The adoption of the solution was actually voted on. And NAMFREL was actually part of the voting and the result of the voting was unanimous,” Jimenez told reporters.
As proof, Jimenez showed the media a copy of the minutes of the meeting that took place on January 17.
NAMFREL is among several groups who have expressed concerns that the “meet-me-room” set up can be used to tamper the results of the elections.
“It seems that people are forgetting things,” said the spokesman.
“So, again NAMFREL was present at that meeting and in that meeting, one of the most important things discussed was the transmission router,” he reiterated.
Jimenez reminded that during consultations the Comelec even set-up conditions if it was agreed that the transmission router would be used.
He said the conditions include: data must be forwarded as soon as possible and not retained more than an hour; upon successful transmission, the data must be deleted; and the use of the transmission router must be subject to review, and the data cannot be remotely accessible.
“It was always the idea for the transmission router to just be a traffic cop,” Jimenez said.