Questions on biometrics

The Commission on Elections (Comelec)  has been urging people to have their biometrics taken to be able  to vote in 2016.

The public welcomes this believing that it would prevent electoral fraud. I  am happy with  the Comelec’s move, but  I have some questions.

What is the reason for taking our biometrics and what is its use in the elections?

I just got my voter’s ID and  noticed that  it has two boxes on the right portion. What are these two boxes for? I presume that the voter’s ID would identify us when we vote. When we cast our ballots, we are identified by  the picture  found on the ID.

This is good for those who  are  known by people manning the precincts. But what about those in far-flung areas who are not familiar  to the poll clerks? How can poll officers  determine if the voter is really the person  he claims to be?

These are just initial questions for the Comelec especially since the poll body  still recognizes  the role of the   controversial Smartmatic in the 2016 elections.

With  Vice President Jejomar Binay stating that Mar Roxas can only win through cheating, Comelec must secure  the 2016 elections so that it will not be tainted by  fraud.

Comelec Chairman  Andres Bautista, my schoolmate at the Ateneo de Manila University Law School, should always embrace the virtue exemplified by the patron saint of the law school, St. Thomas Moore, who said, “I may be the king’s good servant, but God’s first.”

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Tomorrow is the last State of the Nation Address (Sona) of President Aquino.

The nation is  excited to hear what the president has to say and  how he fared as our leader.

I believe Aquino  is an honest chief executive but he  does not have much control over his men in government. Classic examples are the anomalies committed by his allies in the legislative department, specifically on the issue of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), and the controversies hounding the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) on the LRT and MRT, plus the new license plates distributed by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and paid for by the people.

One other thing that the people are waiting  for is the President’s announcement of the presidential candidate that he will anoint as standard-bearer of  the Liberal party. Secretary Mar Roxas has  the inside track here.

Some  say that the endorsement of the president is  a big factor for a candidate to ensure  victory, while others call it the  kiss of death.

I will vote for a presidential candidate who has a bias for Cebu.  We do not want a repeat of what transpired during the administration of Aquino who  provided few projects and assistance to Cebu despite the fact that we gave him an overwhelming margin of victory.

I envy Luzon and the National Capital Region which  got a hefty amount of assistance from the president, especially now that road projects in Luzon are sprouting.