At this juncture in the Age of Information, practically everybody is already aware of the benefits of deploying I.T.-based systems, of automating processes. Today’s up-take of technology by businesses is tremendous, even in the Philippines. And if it’s good enough for business, I can’t see any reason why it won’t be good for government as well. And yet, our government seems to be resistant to technological change.

Sure, the national government finally established the Commission on ICT, and we now have more public officials paying lip service to the virtues of high-tech stuff. But take a look at I.T. deployment in government and you’ll see what I mean. Take, for example, the Comelec. In my opinion, its failed computerization project should be an embarrassment to the country’s entire I.T. industry.

The government, of course, denies that politicking was involved. But, if that project had been handled entirely by the private sector, it certainly wouldn’t have failed! I can say that with a lot of confidence. The Philippines is home to some of the world’s best software developers — it should be evidence enough that we suppy systems to the West.

And I can allege with just as much confidence that there was dirty politics involved in the failure of the Comelec’s election computerization project.

Aren’t you dismayed, depressed, angered by the news after our 14 May polls? Political killings, cheating, harrassments…. All because up to now we still practice old ways of electing our public officials. Had that expensive computerization effort succeeded, I believe we wouldn’t have witnessed these atrocities.

Information technology does save lives. Those poor teacher and volunteer who died in the polling precinct that was deliberately set on fire by as yet unidentified men… those were senseless deaths. We could have avoided them and the other election-related deaths, if only we’d been successful in implementing a computerized system for elections. For this we pay only with money, not with lives.

But I guess if we computerized the electoral process, there would be less cheating, or none at all, yes?

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