To:AteneoStudentJudicialCourt Re:PetitionforReviewRe:PetitionforExtensionoftheElectoralPeriodforthe2014 SanggunianGeneralElections We,theundersigned,doherebysubmitapetitionfortheStudentJudicialCourttoreview thedecisionofAteneoCOMELECregardingthePetitionforExtensionoftheElectoral Periodforthe2014SanggunianGeneralElections. Thefollowingarethepointsofcontentionthatwewouldliketoraiseregardingthe COMELECdecision: InsufficientTime COMELECarguesthatthestudentsaffectedbythesystemerrorshouldberemoved fromthecomputationofthetotalstudentpopulationbecausetheyweregivenanextensionof twodaysinordertorecasttheirvote.However,thefactisthatthesestudentswerealsopartof thevotingprocessthroughoutthefirstthreedaysofelections,whichmeansthattheyhave consumedcomputerminutesinordertovoteeventhoughtheirvoteswerenotcounted.Thus, theymustnotberemovedfromthecomputation.

Furthermore,COMELECarguesthattheamountoftimeperstudentobtainedthrough ourtimeandmotionstudywasinaccurate.However,evenwiththe3minutesthatCOMELEC estimatesthateachstudentmustbeprovidedtobeabletovoteinboththeelectionsandthe plebiscite,thenumberofcomputerminuteswouldstillbeinsufficienttocatertothevoting populationof8000studentswhocouldhavebeenpartoftheoriginaldatesofelections.Hereare supportingcomputations:

Time Required (in minutes per student) [A] 3

Number of LS students [B] 8000

Total Needed Computer Minutes [C] = [AxB] 24000

Date 2/19/14 2/20/14 2/21/14 2/24/14

Number of Computers [D] 15 15 10 15

Number of Minutes Open Per Day [E] 180 480 480 480

Total Number of Computer Minutes Available [F] = [DxE] 2700 7200 4800 7200 Total: 21900

Thistime,alreadyinsufficient,doesnotevenincludethenumerouscomplaintsregarding computererrorsandlagtimesduetoInternetconnectionproblems,whichcausedmany studentsgrief. UndueVoterFatigueduetoTechnicalErrorsandInconsistentAnnouncements COMELECsfirstargumentisthatthesystemerrorswereonlydiscoveredduringtheday ofextension(Feb.17),soonlythestudentswhowereaffectedbythesystemerror(i.e.students fromthe19courses)wereaffected.Whattheyfailedtoconsiderwasthatthefirstdaythatthey cited(Feb.12)onlyallowedthreehoursforelections,whichmeansthatthethirdfulldayof electionswasMonday,Feb.17.Evenbeforethisday,manystudentswerealreadycomplaining astowhytheirvotesdidnotseemtobecountedintheCOMELECtally,whichledtoconfusion andhesitationonthepartofthestudentstotrustCOMELECsautomatedsystem.Students hesitatedfromvotingbecauseofthenewscirculatingthatCOMELECssystemhada malfunction,which,weargue,doesnotprovidethestudentswiththeenvironmentnecessaryin ordertoconfidentlycasttheirvote.COMELECdidnotrespondbyprovidingproofthatthe systemworks.Instead,theysimplynotedthatcertaincoursescouldvoteonanotherday. However,thisleftmanyquestionsunanswered:howabouttheothercourses?Howdoweknow thatthosevoteswereallrecorded?Whatassurancedowehavethatifwevoteonthisday,our voteswillbetalliedandwontdisappearliketheothers?ThefactthatCOMELECwasnotableto providesufficientproofinordertoquellthegreatmistrustofstudentsthroughouttheprocessof electionsinthethirddayshowsthatstudentswerenotgiventhreewholedaysofbeingableto confidentlycasttheirvotes,anditwouldnotbefairifthiswerenotgiventothem. Theirsecondargumentisthattheyrespondedbyallowingtheuseofhardballotsinorder tocatertothestudentswhofeltthismistrust.However,whattheydidnotmentionisthatthis optionwasnotclearlypublicizedtothestudentbody.Ifstudentswouldonlyfindoutaboutthe possibilityofpaperballotsduringthetimewhentheyareactuallyvoting,thenCOMELECstillhas

notaddressedthepreviouslystatedquestionsandconcernsthatbredmistrustforthe automatedsystemamongstudents.Wedisagreethatthereasonthatstudentsmaynotwantto votebecauseofadistrustofthesystemwasaccountedforbylettingthesestudentsusethe hardballotsbecausebynotpublicizingadefinitivewaytoprovetostudentsthattheirvotescan becounted,beitthroughthefixingofthesystemorthroughhardballot,such disenfranchisementwasnotaddressed.Theideathatstudentsusedhardballotswasalso basedonobservation,whichmeansthatthereisnoevidencethatthehardballotsystemwas significantenoughinordertoresolvetheissueforthemajorityofAteneanswhowere disenfranchisedbythesystem. Theirlastargumentisthatthedisenfranchisementofthestudentsisunquantifiable.First ofall,itisveryapparentthatifstudentsfindoutthatcertainvoteshavenotbeenrecordedand thatthereareproblemswiththesystem,mistrustanddisenfranchisementwilloccur.Asking thosewhohavealreadyparticipatedintheelectoralprocesstodoitagainfurtheraggravatesthe matter.Somestudentshavevotedthreetimes,andthishascausedmuchmistrustamongthe students.Ifonewantstoseethis,oneneedonlylookatsocialmediatoknowthatthisisa problem.Studentshavegoneupabouttheissue,andignoringsuchanobviousissuewouldbe unjust.EvenTheGuidonnotes(inthisarticle: http://blueballot.theguidon.com/electoralmalfunctions/)thattheissueofelectoralmalfunctionsis asignificantcauseforthelowelectionturnoutandhascausedtheGeneralElectionstoberife withcontroversy.WearenotarguingthatCOMELEChadnottakenstepsinordertoamendthe problems.Whatwearesayingisthattheirefforts,duetoweakpublicityandlackofsolid evidence,havebeeninsufficientinordertoconvincethevotingpublicthatitwasalreadysafeto votegiventhecontextoftheissue(i.e.thelossofmomentumofelectionscomingfromthe bombthreat),themagnitudeofthedamagecausedbytheissue,thespreadofdoubtthroughout thestudentbody,andsoforth. Becauseofallthesereasons,wewouldliketorequestfortheStudentJudicialCourtto reviewCOMELECsdecision,andweaskforanextensionoftheGeneralElections.Thisisthe bestwaythatwebelievewecanproperlyaccountforthevoiceofthestudentbodygivenallthe issuesthathavetranspiredthroughouttheentireelectionprocessinorderforCOMELECtotruly fulfillitsresponsibilityoftoassurefreehonestandcleanelectionsasperArticleXIVSection3 (i)oftheConstitution.Thankyou. Undersigned, VanessadelRosario VPforInternals,Ignite RedentorJohnR.Dimla Chairperson,SchoolofHumanitiesBoard AntonioRafaelN.Elicao

SecretaryGeneral,Sanggunian PamelaGaerlan 2ndYearSOSECBRepresentative RayCristoferGomez 2ndYearJGSOMCBRepresentative GabrielCrisantoNolasco Constituent AlexandraFeliceTanjangco JGSOMSecretaryTreasurer JamesGregoryTieng Constituent RyanCarlY.Yu VicePresident,Sanggunian