Philippine general election, 2010
Encyclopedia
Elections for all positions in the Philippines
above the barangay (except for Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
regional level) were held on Monday, May 10, 2010. The elected president will become the 15th President of the Philippines
, succeeding President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
, who is barred from seeking re-election due to term restrictions. The successor of the Vice-President Noli de Castro
will be the 15th Vice President of the Philippines
. The legislators elected in the 2010 elections will join the senators of the 2007 elections
and will comprise the 15th Congress of the Philippines
.
The 2010 election was administered by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in compliance with the Republic Act No. 9369, also known as Amended Computerization Act of 2007. It was the first national computerized election in the history of the Philippines. Although, there were cases of PCOS machine failures, there would be no postponement of elections since most technical issues were resolved by Election Day. Despite the fact that some provinces have reported failure of elections, these have not surpassed the 0.50% of the total number of PCOS machines, and most were replaced on time.
Local elections were held in all provinces
, cities
and municipalities
for provincial governors, vice governors and board members, and city/municipal mayors, vice mayors and councilors.
There were more than 85,000 candidates for 17,000 national and local positions and it is believed that the youth will have the swing vote in this election as 40% of voters are 18-35 and there are a potential 3 million first-time voters.
In cases where a candidate is running unopposed, that candidate only has to win one vote in order to be considered elected. In this case, the candidate can vote for themselves.
only allows a president to run for one 6-year term; however, President
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo term was controversial because she replaced Joseph Estrada
in the middle of his term and also won an election on her own right to serve longer than the constitution was supposed to allow.
ruled that appointive officials seeking positions in the elections need not resign from their posts, striking down Section 4(a) of COMELEC Resolution 8678, Section 13 of Republic Act 9369, and Section 66 of the Omnibus Election Code as unconstitutional, "for being violative of the equal protection clause
and for being overbroad."
or to the Nacionalista Party
.
The politicians who switched parties after the start of the local campaign period are:
Furthermore, figures such as Luis "Chavit" Singson resigned from Lakas and endorsed a candidate aside from Gilberto Teodoro
, but did not join another party. Singson endorsed Villar, then resigned from Lakas, but has not joined Villar's Nacionalista Party.
Several cities and provinces encountered several problems, postponing the election.
In Caloocan, voting was delayed as the box of ballots delivered to clustered precinct 599 in the city's Pajo district contained ballots for a clustered precinct in Sampaloc
in Manila
.
On November 23, 2009, the entourage of the wife of Buluan
, Maguindanao
Esmael Mangudadatu
who is running for provincial governor, including journalists, were abducted and killed
in the province's Ampatuan
town. Before she was killed, Mangudadatu's wife blamed provincial governor Andal Ampatuan, Jr.
as the culprit. Ampatuan Jr. was later arrested. After several arms and military vehicles were seized in Ampatuans' properties and government installations, President Arroyo declared martial law in parts of the province not controlled by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
on December 4.
On December 28, 2009, a candidate for councilor died, and two incumbent officials were wounded in an ambush in Dingras
, Ilocos Norte
. The gunmen fired at the convoy including barangay
chairwoman Joen Caniete, who was running for councilor under the Nacionalista Party
; the wounded included a sitting councilor and a provincial board member.
In Sorsogon
, Julio Esquivias, a Nacionalista candidate for councilor in the town of Casiguran
, died due to a gunshot wound after he was shot by an unidentified gunman.
In a command conference by the Armed Forces of the Philippines
, Philippine National Police
and the COMELEC, 14 election "hotspots" were identified. They are Abra, Ilocos Norte
, Masbate
and Nueva Ecija
in Luzon
, Samar (Western Samar), Eastern Samar
and Antique in the Visayas
, and Basilan
, Sulu, Maguindanao
, Lanao del Norte
, Lanao del Sur
, Sarangani
, and Zamboanga Sibugay
in Mindanao.
Worsening private armed violence is a serious security concern that has the capacity to undermine the 2010 elections. Even though a commission has already been formed to dismantle private armies, skeptics are unconvinced that the government can succeed in this task as it has a poor track record at dealing with the ongoing problem of internal violence.
Before election day, a bomb exploded at 1:20 a.m. in Ampatuan, Maguindanao
. No casualties were reported. In Conception, Iloilo
armed men fired a Liberal Party
headquarters. No casualties were reported.
During election day, three bomb exploded at a polling precinct at Pakpak elementary school in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur
. No casualties or injuries reported. Another bomb exploded in Zamboanga Sibugay
, killing three people. Earlier today, two bombs exploded at Mindanao State University
where several polling precinct were clustered. A NK2 grenade exploded at Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao
. No casualties reported. On the same day, at 12:00nn (PST) a shooting incident was happened on the same area between the rival candidates. Two innocent persons was officially killed.
As of 1:30pm (PST) 14 persons were officially reported killed due to election-related violence. At 2:25pm (PST) a shooting incident in a barangay in Maguindanao
caused the cancellation of elections was cancelled.
In an interim report by GFN 2010 Election Observers Team released on May 27, 2010 titled "Foreign Observers Challenge Election Legitimacy", they presented arguments questioning the May 10, 2010 elections summarized below:
Many different groups also echoed the same sentiments such as that of Kaakbay Partylist in its critique of the May 10, 2010 polls. They also questioned the removal of digital signatures
In the joint committee at Batasang Pambansa
, Sen. Enrile asked the COMELEC officials why they removed the use of the digital signatures. Smartmatic Asia Pacific president, Cesar Flores said “The voting machine has a digital signature in itself which is also corroborated in the card and the password that is provided to the BEIs. The BEIs when they sign the password, they encrypt the result, and the result is digitally signed,”
Kaakbay Partylist released on June 6, 2010 its critique on the May 10, 2010 elections. The group cited complaints regarding the removal of main security features and verifiability of votes and also answered the arguments of those given by the COMELEC officials.
"On March 4, 2010, Comelec issued Resolution 8786 dated March 4, 2010, essentially disabling the use of digital signatures. Thus, the electronically transmitted ERs from the precincts no longer bear digital signatures. Several excuses were given by Comelec ranging from PCOS machine signatures being equivalent to digital signature (which of course is not true); use of digital signature will require another P1 billion (as if digital feature is not included in the P7.1-billion contract); reducing transmission time (how less than one minute signing digitally will reduce much a transmission of about 30 to 60 minutes?); and the PCOS i-button and BEI Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) are equivalents (of course, not)".
, though other provinces also faced difficulties such as computer glitches on the electronic voting machines, disorderly conduct, vote buying, and violence. In Cebu City
, spikes placed by unidentified men on the road caused a delay in the delivery of ballot boxes in Cebu province early Monday.
A total of over 76,340 PCOS machines (or Precinct-count Optical Scanners), some 5,000 back-up units, and some 1,700 servers were deployed in the country's first nation-wide fully automated elections, from counting of votes to transmission and canvassing of election results. Election Day had live full coverage from GMA 7 and ABS-CBN. Besides logistical problems, during the last few days prior to the election poll machine & services supplier Smartmatic
-Total Information Management (TIM) found cases of PCOS machine failures. Nonetheless it was decided not to postpone elections since the technical issues were resolved quickly and the solution could be deployed by Election Day. Despite the fact that some provinces reported issues in the election process, these did not surpass the 0.50% of the total number of PCOS machines, and most were replaced on time, as planned for. As a result of the delays, the COMELEC extended voting hours from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and continued through the night transmitting the votes from every precinct scattered across the country.
After the elections closed and transmissions from PCOS machines began arriving en masse and the COMELEC was able to publish the first partial results, many former doubts and concerns vanished, replaced by astonishment due to the unprecedented speed of the tally
will be declared the winner. A separate election is held for the vice president; the two elected officials need not be running mate
s in order to be elected.
system for the Senate race.
and the European Union
praised the republic for the smooth elections. The US embassy was one of the first to hail the general elections.
Seeing the patience and the number of people turned in the elections, EU Ambassador Alistair MacDonald shared his experience and reflection in observing the Filipinos.
MacDonald also expressed that the EU were impressed for the elections being "smooth” and “generally trouble-free.”
He also appreciated the teacher's hard work for the said elections.
Results
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
above the barangay (except for Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao is the region, located in the Mindanao island group of the Philippines, that is composed of predominantly Muslim provinces, namely: Basilan , Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. It is the only region that has its own government...
regional level) were held on Monday, May 10, 2010. The elected president will become the 15th President of the Philippines
President of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
, succeeding President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a Filipino politician who served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010, as the 12th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, and is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the 2nd District of Pampanga...
, who is barred from seeking re-election due to term restrictions. The successor of the Vice-President Noli de Castro
Noli de Castro
Manuel Leuterio de Castro, Jr. , better known as Noli de Castro or "Kabayan" Noli de Castro, was Vice President of the Philippines ....
will be the 15th Vice President of the Philippines
Vice President of the Philippines
-Description:The Vice-President is the first in the Philippine line of succession, assuming the Presidency upon the death, resignation, or removal by impeachment and subsequent conviction of the incumbent. The position was abolished by Martial Law in 1972, and was not included in the original text...
. The legislators elected in the 2010 elections will join the senators of the 2007 elections
Philippine general election, 2007
Legislative and local elections were held in the Philippines on May 14, 2007. Positions contested included half the seats in the Senate, which are elected for six-year terms, and all the seats in the House of Representatives, who were elected for three-year terms...
and will comprise the 15th Congress of the Philippines
Congress of the Philippines
The Congress of the Philippines is the national legislature of the Republic of the Philippines. It is a bicameral body consisting of the Senate , and the House of Representatives although commonly in the Philippines the term congress refers to the latter.The Senate is composed of 24 senators half...
.
The 2010 election was administered by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in compliance with the Republic Act No. 9369, also known as Amended Computerization Act of 2007. It was the first national computerized election in the history of the Philippines. Although, there were cases of PCOS machine failures, there would be no postponement of elections since most technical issues were resolved by Election Day. Despite the fact that some provinces have reported failure of elections, these have not surpassed the 0.50% of the total number of PCOS machines, and most were replaced on time.
Local elections were held in all provinces
Provinces of the Philippines
The Provinces of the Philippines are the primary political and administrative divisions of the Philippines. There are 80 provinces at present, further subdivided into component cities and municipalities. The National Capital Region, as well as independent cities, are autonomous from any provincial...
, cities
Cities of the Philippines
A city is a tier of local government in the Philippines. All Philippine cities are chartered cities, whose existence as corporate and administrative entities is governed by their own specific charters in addition to the Local Government Code of 1991, which specifies the administrative structure...
and municipalities
Municipalities of the Philippines
A municipality is a local government unit in the Philippines. Municipalities are also called towns . They are distinct from cities, which are a different category of local government unit...
for provincial governors, vice governors and board members, and city/municipal mayors, vice mayors and councilors.
There were more than 85,000 candidates for 17,000 national and local positions and it is believed that the youth will have the swing vote in this election as 40% of voters are 18-35 and there are a potential 3 million first-time voters.
In cases where a candidate is running unopposed, that candidate only has to win one vote in order to be considered elected. In this case, the candidate can vote for themselves.
Background
The Philippine constitutionConstitution of the Philippines
The Constitution of the Philippines is the supreme law of the Philippines.The Constitution currently in effect was enacted in 1987, during the administration of President Corazon Aquino, and is popularly known as the "1987 Constitution"...
only allows a president to run for one 6-year term; however, President
President of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo term was controversial because she replaced Joseph Estrada
Joseph Estrada
Joseph "Erap" Ejercito Estrada was the 13th President of the Philippines, serving from 1998 until 2001. Estrada was the first person in the Post-EDSA era to be elected both to the presidency and vice-presidency.Estrada gained popularity as a film actor, playing the lead role in over 100 films in...
in the middle of his term and also won an election on her own right to serve longer than the constitution was supposed to allow.
General issues
In a decision dated December 2, 2009, the Supreme CourtSupreme Court of the Philippines
The Supreme Court of the Philippines is the Philippines' highest judicial court, as well as the court of last resort. The court consists of 14 Associate Justices and 1 Chief Justice...
ruled that appointive officials seeking positions in the elections need not resign from their posts, striking down Section 4(a) of COMELEC Resolution 8678, Section 13 of Republic Act 9369, and Section 66 of the Omnibus Election Code as unconstitutional, "for being violative of the equal protection clause
Equal Protection Clause
The Equal Protection Clause, part of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, provides that "no state shall ... deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws"...
and for being overbroad."
Party-switching
As election day approaches, several politicians switched political parties in order to gain votes and funding for the campaign. Many switches were controversial, with the ruling party Lakas Kampi CMD having the most defections, most of which went either to the Liberal PartyLiberal Party (Philippines)
The Liberal Party of the Philippines is a liberal party in the Philippines, founded by then senators Senate President Manuel Roxas, Senate President Pro-Tempore Elpidio Quirino, and former 9th Senatorial District Senator Jose Avelino, on November 24, 1945 by a breakaway Liberal group from the...
or to the Nacionalista Party
Nacionalista Party
The Nacionalista Party is the oldest political party in the Philippines today and was responsible for leading the country throughout the majority of the 20th century since its founding in 1907...
.
The politicians who switched parties after the start of the local campaign period are:
| Date | Politician | Running for | | Old party | | New party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 24 | Jose Maria Zubiri, Jr. | Governor of Bukidnon |
||
| April 11 | Arturo Uy | Governor of Compostela Valley |
||
| April 12 | Neptali Gonzales II | Congressman of Mandaluyong |
||
| April 12 | Roilo Golez Roilo Golez Roilo Golez is a Philippine politician on his sixth term as Member of the Philippine House of Representatives representing the Second District of Parañaque City, one of the most industrialized districts of the Philippines... |
Congressman of Parañaque's 2nd district |
||
| April 14 | Joey Salceda Joey Salceda Jose Clemente "Joey" Sarte Salceda is the governor of the province of Albay in the Philippines. Prior to that, he was a three-year term representative of the Third District of Albay and was appointed as Presidential Chief of Staff on February 10, 2007 after the resignation of Michael Defensor... |
Governor of Albay |
||
| April 15 | Benasing Macarambon | Congressman of Lanao del Sur's 2nd district |
||
| April 20 | Mary Ann Susano | Mayor of Quezon City |
Furthermore, figures such as Luis "Chavit" Singson resigned from Lakas and endorsed a candidate aside from Gilberto Teodoro
Gilberto Teodoro
Gilberto Eduardo Gerardo Cojuangco Teodoro, Jr. , or more commonly known as Gilbert/Gibo, is the former secretary of the national defense of the republic of the Philippines, having assumed the post in August 2007 until November 15, 2009...
, but did not join another party. Singson endorsed Villar, then resigned from Lakas, but has not joined Villar's Nacionalista Party.
Controversies
Five days before the elections, petitions were made to postpone the elections due to technical malfunctions with the electronic voting machines. On May 7, 2010, the Supreme Court rejected the petitions, affirming the vote would go ahead as planned.Several cities and provinces encountered several problems, postponing the election.
In Caloocan, voting was delayed as the box of ballots delivered to clustered precinct 599 in the city's Pajo district contained ballots for a clustered precinct in Sampaloc
Sampaloc
Sampaloc is the Filipino term for tamarind and the name of certain locations in the Philippines.*Sampaloc, Manila*Sampaloc, Quezon...
in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
.
Election-related violence
Prior to the end of the filing of certificates of candidacy, the COMELEC had anticipated several areas to be named as "election hotspots".On November 23, 2009, the entourage of the wife of Buluan
Buluan, Maguindanao
Buluan is a municipality in the province of Maguindanao, Philippines.-Barangays:Buluan is politically subdivided into 7 barangays.* Digal* Lower Siling* Maslabeng* Poblacion* Popol* Talitay* Upper Siling* Dilag* Salendab* Malangit* Tumbao...
, Maguindanao
Maguindanao
Maguindanao is a province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Its capital is Shariff Aguak. It borders Lanao del Sur to the north, Cotabato to the east, and Sultan Kudarat to the south....
Esmael Mangudadatu
Esmael Mangudadatu
Esmael “Toto" Mangudadatu or is the Governor of Maguindanao, in the Philippines. Mangudadatu was elected for governor of Maguindanao after defeating his closest rival, Ombra Sinsuat by a margin of 12,705 votes...
who is running for provincial governor, including journalists, were abducted and killed
Maguindanao massacre
The Maguindanao massacre, also known as the Ampatuan massacre after the town where the mass graves were found, occurred on the morning of November 23, 2009, in the town of Ampatuan in Maguindanao province, on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines...
in the province's Ampatuan
Ampatuan, Maguindanao
Ampatuan, Maguindanao is a municipality in the province of Maguindanao, Philippines.-Barangays:Ampatuan is politically subdivided into 11 barangays.* Dicalongan * Kakal* Kamasi* Kapilpilaan* Kauran* Malatimon* Matagabong* Saniag* Tomicor...
town. Before she was killed, Mangudadatu's wife blamed provincial governor Andal Ampatuan, Jr.
Andal Ampatuan, Jr.
Andal Ampatuan, Jr. is the former mayor of Datu Unsay, Maguindanao. He is the son of patriarch Andal Ampatuan Sr., and his family continues to represent a powerful force in Mindanao politics...
as the culprit. Ampatuan Jr. was later arrested. After several arms and military vehicles were seized in Ampatuans' properties and government installations, President Arroyo declared martial law in parts of the province not controlled by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
Moro Islamic Liberation Front
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front is an Islamist group located in the southern Philippines. It is one of two Islamic militant groups, the other being the Abu Sayyaf, that are fighting against Government of the Philippines...
on December 4.
On December 28, 2009, a candidate for councilor died, and two incumbent officials were wounded in an ambush in Dingras
Dingras, Ilocos Norte
Dingras is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Ilocos Norte, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 36,258 people in 7,252 households. The Locality’s Average Annual Growth rate is 1.03%...
, Ilocos Norte
Ilocos Norte
Ilocos Norte is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Its capital is Laoag City and is located at the northwest corner of Luzon Island, bordering Cagayan and Apayao to the east, and Abra and Ilocos Sur to the south...
. The gunmen fired at the convoy including barangay
Barangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...
chairwoman Joen Caniete, who was running for councilor under the Nacionalista Party
Nacionalista Party
The Nacionalista Party is the oldest political party in the Philippines today and was responsible for leading the country throughout the majority of the 20th century since its founding in 1907...
; the wounded included a sitting councilor and a provincial board member.
In Sorsogon
Sorsogon
Sorsogon is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region; it is the southernmost province in Luzon and is subdivided into fourteen municipalities and one city. Its capital is Sorsogon City and borders the province of Albay to the north...
, Julio Esquivias, a Nacionalista candidate for councilor in the town of Casiguran
Casiguran, Sorsogon
Casiguran is a 4th class municipality in Sorsogon Province, Philippines. This town is on the coast of Sorsogon Bay. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 28,057 people in 5,381 households.-Barangays:...
, died due to a gunshot wound after he was shot by an unidentified gunman.
In a command conference by the Armed Forces of the Philippines
Armed Forces of the Philippines
The Armed Forces of the Philippines is composed of the Philippine Army, Philippine Navy and Philippine Air Force...
, Philippine National Police
Philippine National Police
The Philippine National Police is the national police force of the Republic of the Philippines. It is both a national and a local police force in that it does provides all law enforcement services throughout the Philippines...
and the COMELEC, 14 election "hotspots" were identified. They are Abra, Ilocos Norte
Ilocos Norte
Ilocos Norte is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Its capital is Laoag City and is located at the northwest corner of Luzon Island, bordering Cagayan and Apayao to the east, and Abra and Ilocos Sur to the south...
, Masbate
Masbate
Masbate is an island province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region. Its capital is Masbate City and consists of three major islands: Masbate, Ticao and Burias.-History:...
and Nueva Ecija
Nueva Ecija
Nueva Ecija is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is Palayan City...
in Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
, Samar (Western Samar), Eastern Samar
Eastern Samar
Eastern Samar is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is the city of Borongan.-Location:...
and Antique in the Visayas
Visayas
The Visayas or Visayan Islands and locally known as Kabisay-an gid, is one of the three principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Mindanao and Luzon. It consists of several islands, primarily surrounding the Visayan Sea, although the Visayas are considered the northeast...
, and Basilan
Basilan
The Province of Basilan is an island province of the Philippines within the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Basilan is the largest and northernmost of the major islands of the Sulu Archipelago and is located just off the southern coast of Zamboanga Peninsula...
, Sulu, Maguindanao
Maguindanao
Maguindanao is a province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Its capital is Shariff Aguak. It borders Lanao del Sur to the north, Cotabato to the east, and Sultan Kudarat to the south....
, Lanao del Norte
Lanao del Norte
Lanao del Norte is a province of the Philippines located in the Northern Mindanao region. Its capital is Tubod. The province borders Lanao del Sur to the southeast, Zamboanga del Sur to the west, Illana Bay to the southwest, Iligan Bay to the north, Iligan City to the northeast, and is separated...
, Lanao del Sur
Lanao del Sur
Lanao del Sur is a province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Its capital is Marawi City and borders Lanao del Norte to the north, Bukidnon to the east, and Maguindanao and Cotabato to the south. To the southwest lies Illana Bay, an arm of the Moro Gulf...
, Sarangani
Sarangani
In 1945, Filipino troops of the 6th, 10th, 101st and 102nd Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and 10th Infantry Regiment of the Philippine Constabulary entered and liberated in Southern Cotabato In 1945, Filipino troops of the 6th, 10th, 101st and 102nd Infantry Division of the...
, and Zamboanga Sibugay
Zamboanga Sibugay
Zamboanga Sibugay is a province of the Philippines located in the Zamboanga Peninsula region in Mindanao. Its capital is Ipil and it borders Zamboanga del Norte to the north, Zamboanga del Sur to the east and Zamboanga City to the southwest. To the south lies Sibuguey Bay in the Moro Gulf...
in Mindanao.
Worsening private armed violence is a serious security concern that has the capacity to undermine the 2010 elections. Even though a commission has already been formed to dismantle private armies, skeptics are unconvinced that the government can succeed in this task as it has a poor track record at dealing with the ongoing problem of internal violence.
Before election day, a bomb exploded at 1:20 a.m. in Ampatuan, Maguindanao
Maguindanao
Maguindanao is a province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Its capital is Shariff Aguak. It borders Lanao del Sur to the north, Cotabato to the east, and Sultan Kudarat to the south....
. No casualties were reported. In Conception, Iloilo
Iloilo
Iloilo is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Iloilo occupies the southeast portion of Panay Island and is bordered by Antique Province to the west and Capiz Province and the Jintotolo Channel to the north. Just off Iloilo's southeast coast is Guimaras Province,...
armed men fired a Liberal Party
Liberal Party (Philippines)
The Liberal Party of the Philippines is a liberal party in the Philippines, founded by then senators Senate President Manuel Roxas, Senate President Pro-Tempore Elpidio Quirino, and former 9th Senatorial District Senator Jose Avelino, on November 24, 1945 by a breakaway Liberal group from the...
headquarters. No casualties were reported.
During election day, three bomb exploded at a polling precinct at Pakpak elementary school in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur
Lanao del Sur
Lanao del Sur is a province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Its capital is Marawi City and borders Lanao del Norte to the north, Bukidnon to the east, and Maguindanao and Cotabato to the south. To the southwest lies Illana Bay, an arm of the Moro Gulf...
. No casualties or injuries reported. Another bomb exploded in Zamboanga Sibugay
Zamboanga Sibugay
Zamboanga Sibugay is a province of the Philippines located in the Zamboanga Peninsula region in Mindanao. Its capital is Ipil and it borders Zamboanga del Norte to the north, Zamboanga del Sur to the east and Zamboanga City to the southwest. To the south lies Sibuguey Bay in the Moro Gulf...
, killing three people. Earlier today, two bombs exploded at Mindanao State University
Mindanao State University
Mindanao State University is a public coeducational institution of higher education located in the Islamic City of Marawi, Philippines...
where several polling precinct were clustered. A NK2 grenade exploded at Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao
Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao
Shariff Aguak is municipality in the province of Maguindanao, Philippines. It is the capital municipality of Maguindanao.On July 30, 2009, upon the ratification of Muslim Mindanao Autonomy Acts No...
. No casualties reported. On the same day, at 12:00nn (PST) a shooting incident was happened on the same area between the rival candidates. Two innocent persons was officially killed.
As of 1:30pm (PST) 14 persons were officially reported killed due to election-related violence. At 2:25pm (PST) a shooting incident in a barangay in Maguindanao
Maguindanao
Maguindanao is a province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Its capital is Shariff Aguak. It borders Lanao del Sur to the north, Cotabato to the east, and Sultan Kudarat to the south....
caused the cancellation of elections was cancelled.
Constitutionality of the elections
Many concerned civil society groups including the Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG), Philippine Computer Society (PCS), and Global Filipino Nation (GFN) protested the illegality and unconstitutionality on how the elections was conducted particularly in implementing safety measures against fraud and cheating.In an interim report by GFN 2010 Election Observers Team released on May 27, 2010 titled "Foreign Observers Challenge Election Legitimacy", they presented arguments questioning the May 10, 2010 elections summarized below:
- The election results transmitted from the precincts do not have digital signatures of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI)
- The number of disenfranchised voters is sufficient to affect greatly the results of the elections.
- The Automated Election System (AES) was implemented without the appropriate field testing, and law-specified testing in actual elections.
- The source code review was not completed and initial findings were not addressed.
- No audit was done on the AES prior to the elections. There was only a mandated random manual audit which was not yet done at the time the report was written (May 27, 2010).
- Several voter and security features were disabled prior to elections.
Many different groups also echoed the same sentiments such as that of Kaakbay Partylist in its critique of the May 10, 2010 polls. They also questioned the removal of digital signatures
Removal of Digital Signatures
While Republic Act 9369 states that "The election returns transmitted electronically and digitally signed shall be considered as official election results and shall be used as the basis for the canvassing of votes and the proclamation of a candidate.", the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) issued Resolution 8786 on March 4, 2010 which became the basis for the decision to remove digital signatures which the Comelec ruled as no longer necessary. Three Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs) were originally required to put in their iButton Key for the results to be digitally signed before transmission and make it official. But because of the issuance of Comelec Resolution 8786, BEIs were directed to press "No" when asked by the PCOS machines to digitally sign the files for transmission.In the joint committee at Batasang Pambansa
Batasang Pambansa
The Batasang Pambansa , also known by its nickname, the Batasan, was the former parliament of the Philippines, established as an interim assembly in 1978 and finally as an official body in 1984. Under the 1973 constitution, it replaced the former Congress established under the 1935 Commonwealth...
, Sen. Enrile asked the COMELEC officials why they removed the use of the digital signatures. Smartmatic Asia Pacific president, Cesar Flores said “The voting machine has a digital signature in itself which is also corroborated in the card and the password that is provided to the BEIs. The BEIs when they sign the password, they encrypt the result, and the result is digitally signed,”
Kaakbay Partylist released on June 6, 2010 its critique on the May 10, 2010 elections. The group cited complaints regarding the removal of main security features and verifiability of votes and also answered the arguments of those given by the COMELEC officials.
"On March 4, 2010, Comelec issued Resolution 8786 dated March 4, 2010, essentially disabling the use of digital signatures. Thus, the electronically transmitted ERs from the precincts no longer bear digital signatures. Several excuses were given by Comelec ranging from PCOS machine signatures being equivalent to digital signature (which of course is not true); use of digital signature will require another P1 billion (as if digital feature is not included in the P7.1-billion contract); reducing transmission time (how less than one minute signing digitally will reduce much a transmission of about 30 to 60 minutes?); and the PCOS i-button and BEI Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) are equivalents (of course, not)".
Results
Reports indicated that the election day was marred with controversies, particularly in insurgent-ridden province of MindanaoMindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
, though other provinces also faced difficulties such as computer glitches on the electronic voting machines, disorderly conduct, vote buying, and violence. In Cebu City
Cebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
, spikes placed by unidentified men on the road caused a delay in the delivery of ballot boxes in Cebu province early Monday.
A total of over 76,340 PCOS machines (or Precinct-count Optical Scanners), some 5,000 back-up units, and some 1,700 servers were deployed in the country's first nation-wide fully automated elections, from counting of votes to transmission and canvassing of election results. Election Day had live full coverage from GMA 7 and ABS-CBN. Besides logistical problems, during the last few days prior to the election poll machine & services supplier Smartmatic
Smartmatic
Smartmatic is a multinational company founded in 2000 that specializes in the design and deployment of complex purpose-specific technology solutions aimed at helping governments to fulfill their commitments toward their citizens.It is organized around three business units: Electronic voting...
-Total Information Management (TIM) found cases of PCOS machine failures. Nonetheless it was decided not to postpone elections since the technical issues were resolved quickly and the solution could be deployed by Election Day. Despite the fact that some provinces reported issues in the election process, these did not surpass the 0.50% of the total number of PCOS machines, and most were replaced on time, as planned for. As a result of the delays, the COMELEC extended voting hours from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and continued through the night transmitting the votes from every precinct scattered across the country.
After the elections closed and transmissions from PCOS machines began arriving en masse and the COMELEC was able to publish the first partial results, many former doubts and concerns vanished, replaced by astonishment due to the unprecedented speed of the tally
President
The presidential candidate with the greatest number of votesFirst-past-the-post
First-past-the-post voting refers to an election won by the candidate with the most votes. The winning potato candidate does not necessarily receive an absolute majority of all votes cast.-Overview:...
will be declared the winner. A separate election is held for the vice president; the two elected officials need not be running mate
Running mate
A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position but can also properly be used when referring to both candidates, such as "Michael Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen were...
s in order to be elected.
Vice President
Senate
One-half of the Senate of the Philippines will be up for election. The Philippines uses the plurality-at-large votingPlurality-at-large voting
Plurality-at-large voting is a non-proportional voting system for electing several representatives from a single multimember electoral district using a series of check boxes and tallying votes similar to a plurality election...
system for the Senate race.
| Party | |Won | |Seats | |% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 20.8% | ||
| 2 | 4 | 16.7% | ||
| 3 | 4 | 16.7% | ||
| 2 | 4 | 16.7% | ||
| 1 | 2 | 8.3% | ||
| 2 | 2 | 8.3% | ||
| 1 | 1 | 4.2% | ||
| 0 | 1 | 4.2% | ||
| Totals | 12 | 23 | 95.8% | |
House of Representatives
All seats in the House are up for election, elections were done for legislative districts and party-list.Local
- BatangasBatangas local elections, 2010Local elections will be held in the Province of Batangas on May 10, 2010 as part of the 2010 general election. Voters will select candidates for all local positions: a town mayor, vice mayor and town councilors, as well as members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, the vice-governor, governor and...
- BoholBohol local elections, 2010Local elections held in the Province of Bohol last May 10, 2010 as part of the 2010 general election. Voters elected candidates for all local positions: a city or town mayor, vice mayor and town councilors, as well as three to four members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, the vice-governor,...
- BulacanBulacan local elections, 2010Local elections will be held in the Province of Bulacan on May 10, 2010 as part of the 2010 general election. Voters will select candidates for all local positions: a town mayor, vice mayor and town councilors, as well as members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, the vice-governor, governor and...
- MarilaoMarilao local elections, 2010Local elections will be held in Marilao, Bulacan on May 10, 2010 within the Philippine general election. The voters will elect for the elective local posts in the municipality: the mayor, vice mayor, and eight councilors....
- MeycauayanMeycauayan local elections, 2010Local elections will be held in Meycauayan City, Bulacan on May 10, 2010 within the Philippine general election. The voters will elect for the elective local posts in the city: the mayor, vice mayor, and ten councilors.-Results:...
- Marilao
- LagunaLaguna local elections, 2010Local elections will be held in the Province of Laguna on May 10, 2010 as part of the 2010 general election. Voters will select candidates for all local positions: a municipal/city mayor, vice mayor and town councilors, as well as members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, the vice-governor, governor...
- Metro Manila
- CaloocanCaloocan local elections, 2010Local elections will be held in the Caloocan City on May 10, 2010 within the Philippine general election. The voters will elect for the elective local posts in the city: the mayor, vice mayor, the two Congressmen, and the councilors, six in each of the city's two legislative districts.-Mayoral and...
- MakatiMakati local elections, 2010Local elections was held in the Makati City on May 10, 2010 within the Philippine general election. The voters will elect for the elective local posts in the city: the mayor, vice mayor, two District representatives, and councilors, six in each of the city's two legislative districts.-Mayoral and...
- ManilaManila local elections, 2010Local elections was held in the City of Manila on May 10, 2010 within the Philippine general election. The voters will elect for the elective local posts in the city: the mayor, vice mayor, the six Congressmen, and the councilors, six in each of the city's six legislative districts.-2007:In the...
- MarikinaMarikina local elections, 2010Local elections will be held in Marikina City on May 10, 2010 within the Philippine general election. The voters will elect for the elective local posts in the city: the mayor, vice mayor, two district representatives, and councilors, eight in each of the city's two legislative...
- NavotasNavotas local elections, 2010Local elections will be held in the city of Navotas on May 10, 2010 within the Philippine general election. The voters will elect for the elective local posts in the city: the mayor, vice mayor, a District representative, and councilors, six in each of the city's two legislative districts.-Mayoral...
- Quezon CityQuezon City local elections, 2010Local elections will be held in the Quezon City on May 10, 2010 within the Philippine general election. The voters will elect for the elective local posts in the city: the mayor, vice mayor, four District representatives, and councilors, six in each of the city's four legislative districts.-Mayoral...
- TaguigTaguig local elections, 2010Local elections was held in the Taguig City on May 10, 2010 within the Philippine general election. The voters will elect for the elective local posts in the city: the mayor, vice mayor, two District representatives, and councilors, eight in each of the city's two legislative districts.-Mayoral and...
- ValenzuelaValenzuela local elections, 2010Local elections was held in the Valenzuela City on May 10, 2010 within the Philippine general election. The voters elected for the elective local posts in the city: the mayor, vice mayor, the two Congressmen, and the councilors, six in each of the city's two legislative districts.-Mayoral and vice...
- Caloocan
- MarinduqueMarinduque local elections, 2010Local elections was held in the Province of Marinduque on May 10, 2010 as part of the 2010 general election. Voters will select candidates for all local positions: a town mayor, vice mayor and town councilors, as well as four members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, the vice-governor, governor and...
- Mountain ProvinceMountain Province local elections, 2010Local elections will be held in the Mountain Province on May 10, 2010 within the Philippine general election. The voters will elect for the elective local posts in the city: the mayor, vice mayor, one District representative, and councilors, six in each of the province's legislative district....
- TarlacTarlac local elections, 2010Local elections held in the Province of Tarlac last May 10, 2010 as part of the 2010 general election. Voters elected candidates for all local positions: four members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, the vice-governor, governor and representatives for the three district of Tarlac.-Results:The...
International reaction
The United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
praised the republic for the smooth elections. The US embassy was one of the first to hail the general elections.
Seeing the patience and the number of people turned in the elections, EU Ambassador Alistair MacDonald shared his experience and reflection in observing the Filipinos.
MacDonald also expressed that the EU were impressed for the elections being "smooth” and “generally trouble-free.”
He also appreciated the teacher's hard work for the said elections.
External links
Results
- Philippines 2010 Election Results - Main Site
- Philippines 2010 Election Results - Alternate Site
- PPCRV Map Viewer - PPCRV Encoded Site
- PPCRV Map Viewer - PPCRV Site
- NAMFREL - 2010 PARALLEL COUNT - NAMFREL Site
- HALALAN 2010: Latest Comelec official results - ABS-CBN Site
- ELEKSYON 2010: National Election Results Tally - GMA Site
- ELEKSYON 2010: Regional Election Results Tally - GMA Site
- Auto-Vote 2010: Presidential Election Results - Hatol ng Bayan Site
- Auto-Vote 2010: Vice-Presidential Election Results - Hatol ng Bayan Site
- Auto-Vote 2010: Senatorial Election Results - Hatol ng Bayan Site
- The Vote 2010 Election Results Tally - Bombo Radyo Site