First Computerized Gov’t Elections in the Philippines

The first ever fully automated/computerized elections in the country was held successfully today. It is sad that there are no news stories about it posted on the Internet even as of this writing (midnight of the day after).

There were news stories and features on the television, but I would have loved to read about them before posting any info here.

Seems that the election is overshadowed by other events in the region – the armed conflict in North Cotabato which have displaced hundreds of thousands of residents both Christian and Muslim; and the controversy of the Memorandum of Agreement that the Peace Panel was negotiating and was supposed to have signed.

All these issues in the South has got me to thinking of the ex-MILF commanders-turned-Peace Advocates that we worked with in my old job. I wonder how they are now, and how all these things have affected the work that they have devoted their lives to in recent years?

The conflict really is deeply rooted, and involves so many stakeholders. One document surely won’t magically resolve everything in one day.