The Philippine Online Chronicles

Threats of signal jammers disrupting the country’s first automated elections in May were addressed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in an en banc meeting early Tuesday morning. The poll body raised fears yesterday that the election process would be sabotaged when they reported receiving a notice that 5,000 jammer units where recently brought into the country.

Jammers are devices used to disrupt the signals between cellular towers, resulting in the failure of data transmission. They may affect cellphone and wifi signals. As the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) which will be used for the elections rely on GSM network signals to transmit votes, fears have arisen that the reported cargo of jammers would be used to manipulate the election results, or to foil the elections entirely.

According to Comelec spokesman James Jimenez, the worst signal jammers could do would be to delay the transmission of votes. He added that news of signal jammers might just be a ploy to "undermine the confidence of the [automated elections] system."

However, he did not discount the possibility that unknown persons might be trying to sabotage the elections.

"As a matter of prudence, we should accept the possibility that [a possible effort to delay the transmission of votes] is just a tip of the iceberg," he said.

“That's a little more worrisome,” he added in a separate interview. “When you're talking about 5,000 units of the same thing and considering the proximity of the elections, then you cannot help but be suspicious."

According to Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal, the poll body has back-up plans in case of signal disruption during the elections.

“At the precinct level the machines will print copies of the election returns for political parties and citizens’ arm. So even if there is a delay in transmission or transport, there will be a basis for comparison,” he said.

Comelec is also teaming up with the Philippine National Police (PNP), the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and intelligence agents from the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to verify the reported shipment of jammers.