By FRANCIS T. WAKEFIELD

Nacionalista Party (NP) senatorial candidate Adel Tamano on Wednesday said that contrary to the belief of some that computerized elections will be free from fraud, there are actually ways to cheat during the country’s first automated presidential and local elections on May 10.

During the weekly Fernandina Media forum at the Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan City, Tamano explained that although they trust the Commission on Elections (Comelec) declaration that the technology to be use during the conduct of elections will be free from fraud or any hacking, the cheating could actually be done through human intervention of the ballots which will be use in casting one’s vote.

Tamano said that before a ballot reaches the hand of a voter, it will actually pass through a lot of people from the National Printing Office (NPO), to the Comelec, to Provincial Treasurer’s Office and Municipal Treasurer’s Office, thus increasing the chances of electoral fraud.

“Mabigat ang human intervention dahil ang daming kamay na dadaaanan ng balota mula sa NPO, Comelec, provincial treasurer, municipal treasurer then sa voter. Actual cheating could possibly happen through human intervention,” Tamano said.

“I trust Chairman (Jose) Melo because I know he’s a credible and honest person, but the people on the ground, no. Dapat mabantayan natin ng mabuti ito,” Tamano reiterated.

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