Stop Smartmatic and Lord Malloch-Brown

Eight Filipino bishops and archbishops, two Protestant pastors and two concerned laymen have asked the Supreme Court to strike down as unconstitutional and void the Commission on Elections’ juggling of P12.641 billion in public funds to pay for the purchase of 93,977 Optical Mark Readers (OMR), a new variant of the widely assailed precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machine, from the Venezuelan marketing firm Smartmatic for the May 2016 elections. The questioned realignment of funds is similar to the notorious fund transfers under the so-called Disbursement Acceleration Program. The High Court has declared void and unconstitutional, and ordered the prosecution of those involved in its manipulation and misuse.The only apparent difference is that where President B.S. Aquino 3rd authored the illegal DAP transfers, the Comelec alone is responsible for the illegal juggling of the P12.641 billion.

Many welcomed the SC petition for certiorari and prohibition with preliminary injunction and temporary restraining order as a genuine service to the voters. At least one blogger referred to the petitioners as “the Magnificent 12.” These include Archbishop Rolando TriaTirona of the Archdiocese of Caceres, Archbishop Romulo de la Cruz of Zamboanga, Archbishop Emeritus Oscar V. Cruz of Lingayen-Dagupan, Archbishop Emeritus Fernando Capalla of Davao, Archbishop Ramon Arguelles of Lipa, Bishop FilomenoBactol of the Diocese of Naval, Biliran, Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos of Butuan, Bishop Ramon Villena of Bayombong, Protestant Pastors Arthur Corpus and Greco Antonious Beda Belgica of Manila, former Biliran Congressman Glenn Chong, and this writer.