MSU-GSC Failure of election (SSC) and the image of the COMELEC

Last March 1, 2012, Mindanao State University General Santos City had a university-wide election for new sets of officers for the Supreme Student Council (SSC), SY 2012-2013. The election started smoothly but on the last ours of the sad day, it was discovered that some of the ballot boxes was touched by unauthorized personnels and some ballots we’re tampered, that started the chaos, with so many revelations so was the rise of worse and more unimaginable issues; some witnesses went out and testified that a running officer is giving Certificate of Registration (COR) (a requirement for a student to vote) to those who want to vote but forget or lost their CORs, CORs can’t be given by just students, these documents must come from the Registrar’s Office, so many issues went out that day that you can’t even identify what is true or what is just a mere hearsay. With such issues, the COMELEC declared a “failure of election”.

The COMELEC (Commission on Election) as the one assigned to facilitate the election is being blamed by so many for the declaration of the failure of election. It’s the first time in the history of MSU-GSC SSC elections that the COMELEC declared such decision, the event had been a very big issue in the entire university and the feedback of most of the students is, “what a shame to the COMELEC”.

I am not a member of the COMELEC nor a relative or a bestfriend of one of the COMELEC officers; I am just a concerned 2nd Year AB Political Science Student of MSU and wants to voice out my better opinion (I believe) than most of the studentry. I wrote this article to show my understanding of the situation, that it’s “an applause to the COMELEC” and not “a shame on them”. You know, these COMELEC officers we’re volunteers and didn’t even have any just compensation for their efforts, before we give our reactions let as first try to investigate and understand what the situation really is.

For most of the students in the university, upon hearing the issue of the failure of election, the first reaction is “WHAT!” then puts all the blame to the COMELEC officers. I can’t blame these students of having such reactions; it’s true that the term failure of election is so negative, but let us think scholarly, we’re students of a state university and we must use first our brains before our mouth.

The COMELEC is the body that we put our trust into during elections, "public service is a public trust." As protector of the people's right of suffrage, the COMELEC pledges to faithfully and evenly discharge its solemn constitutional responsibility of ensuring the sanctity of elections. With the failure of election, I believe the COMELEC still has done its function, “ensuring the sanctity of election”; think of this, which is better, declaring  a failure of election or letting those who did dirty politics take the positions and win. I believe that with such scenario happening that day, the best decision is to declare a failure of election, would we think first of the image and let those who do not deserve take the positions than do the right actions? The issues of “dagdag-bawas” can’t be blamed to the COMELEC, they are human beings and have limitations, it was the ones who planned to sabotage the election results that must be blamed, if there’s a will there always is a way, as I’ve seen, the COMELEC did all their best even with scarce funding but what can they do if some would really persist to impose their will.

I wish that the people who will read this article will be more sensitive on giving comments about the said election, I’ve seen some officers being hurt because of negative feedbacks to them but what they did was just perform their duties. Even with our simple jokes, let us be more sensitive, this is not a funny issue for the COMELEC officials. Before you talk, try to first put your feet on their shoes. The persons that must be blamed here are the ones who did all the “hokus-pokus” instead of wasting our time in blaming the COMELEC why don’t we help them investigate who really we’re the very persons who must be held accountable for what happened. Go to the COMELEC and help, it’s not the time of blaming the wrong persons it’s the time of identifying who really are responsible and who should be punished.

-Ronnie Barrientos