VOL. XXX NO. 97 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 FRIDAY : MAY 20, 2016 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph
Purisima ordered arrested for graft
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SMARTMATIC SNUB STYMIES CONGRESS
Contractor gives no reason for not attending probe By Christine F. Herrera, Joel E. Zurbano and Macon Ramos Araneta
AN ELECTION watchdog and information technology experts on Thursday hit the lastminute cancellation of a Senate hearing on the unauthorized introduction of a new script in the transparency server of the automated election system (AES). The Mata sa Balota led by Rodolfo Javellana Jr. as well as IT experts lawyer Ivan Uy and Edmund Casiño said it was highly questionable for the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on the Automated Election System (JCOC-AES) to postpone the hearing in the Senate, simply because the Commission on Election’s IT service provider, Smartmatic, would be unable to attend. Uy said Senator Aquilino Pimentel III’s reason for cancelling the hearing was “flimsy,” since it was the Comelec, and not Smartmatic, that had control over the elections. Pimentel, chairman of the joint panel, earlier said it would be “useless” if the investigation was pursued Thursday without Smartmatic, which backed of the hearing at the last minute. Uy insisted the hearing could proceed since it was the Comelec that needs to answer the more important questions on the holding of the elections including the system employed in the exercise. “I think the JCOC should have proceeded with the hearing because most of the questions we have can be answered by the Comelec because the official logs and the people running this election are supposedly the Comelec,” he said. The leaders of Mata sa Balota were among those that filed a class suit againt Smartmatic, the Comelec and poll watchdog Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting for allowing a Smartmatic technician to introduce a new script into the transparency server that was used to tally and report Next page unofficial results.
Out with the old. Police and security personnel replace the Philippine flag at the House of Representatives in Quezon City on Thursday as part of the preparations for the proclamation of new president and vice president of the Philippines. MANNY PALMERO
Dominguez changes mind, accepts Finance post fered a job in the new president’s Cabinet, but had turned it down “for personal reasons.” DAVAO CITY—A former AgriA member of Duterte’s transition culture secretary and close friend team, Dominguez last week preof incoming President Rodrigo sented the incoming government’s Duterte had a change of heart eight-point economic agenda. Thursday and accepted the post Salvador Panelo, Duterte’s desigas Finance secretary after initially nated press secretary, gave no reason turning down the post. for Dominguez’s change of heart. Carlos Dominguez III, who Also named Thursday to the headed the finance committee of Cabinet was lawyer Vitaliano Duterte’s presidential campaign, Aguirre II, who was tapped to had been one of the first to be of- head the Justice Department.
By John Paolo Bencito and Rey E. Requejo
Confirming that he had accepted the post, Aguirre vowed to give priority to cases involving illegal drugs and corruption when he takes over the department in July. “We will spare no one; we will investigate regardless of who is involved,” he said. Aquirre also vowed to clean up the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, which has been embroiled in scandals involving illegal drugs and special treatment for influential inmates.
He said Duterte had already given him several instructions, but they have yet to discuss specifics. Among the cases pending with the Justice Department are criminal charges against 90 commanders and members of Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and private armed groups tagged in the death of Special Action Force commandos during the Mamasapano clash in January last year. Next page