After all the elections, the Filipinos never learn

The Comelec has conducted many elections. Instead of gaining more expertise, the last polls demonstrated its performance deteriorated instead of improved. Comelec still lacks competence, proactive planning, and problem solving. Above all, they don’t know how to communicate, with apologies to my namesake, Atty. James Jimenez who, by the way, is a very fine man with an impossible job.

If we can’t have flawless system of voting every three years, how can we lead and manage a country of 110 million Filipinos? We must ask ourselves this. Comelec has never learned to plan, organize, implement, and control an efficient, effective, orderly, fair, credible, and honest election. Comelec officials and personnel have all the budget, systems, resources, and support of teachers. Still, they bungle the process. They can’t assure voters of a quick, painless, and hassle-free procedure. They still are clueless and incompetent in performing their constitutional duties.

Thousands of voters line under the sun. Comelec can’t assure them they can vote in less than three hours. Voters’ names can’t be found. Comelec makes changes in voting centers and precincts without notice. There is chaos, noise, heat, and disorder in voting centers. People grumble and teachers and their team members are hungry, angry, and irritable. The procedure is too cumbersome and not voter-friendly. There is still no adequate care for PWDs, senior citizens, and pregnant women.

Voters also never learn. They don’t come early. If they do, they haven’t verified the location of their precinct. They wear clothes not suited for the heat. They don’t have a list of candidates to vote for. Can you imagine voting for 12 senators, one congressman, one governor, one vice governor, two to four provincial board members, one mayor, vice mayor, eight councilors and one partylist? Each voter will take at least 10 to 15 minutes. The space is very small. Heat and noise make it very difficult to move around, and there are simply too many voters and election personnel all crowding together inside one small place. Voters should have learned by now how to cope with all these difficulties.

Why does Comelec not assign time slots for every voter, say for instance, all those with surnames starting with letters A to D from 7 to 8 a.m., E to H from 8 to 9 a.m., and so on? Those who can’t catch up at their allocated time should line up from 2 to 3 p.m. Counting should start at 3:30 p.m. and the whole process should end before 6 p.m. All voting precincts should be air-conditioned. Private universities and colleges should be available with appropriate fees, not just public schools. The numbers of watchers should be reduced and all election machines should have a standby replacement in case of defects.

Alas, we are already getting old but we never learn. Comelec should shape up or forever be criticized and frowned upon. Voters should also learn to be smarter. The systems should be improved and we should all cooperate.