Mega Data Corporation, the company that built the computerized renewal and issuance of clearance system for the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) as well as the computerized driver’s license facility of the Land Transportation Office (LTO), is offering the government a software for automating the country’s elections—for free.

The software, called “Botong Pinoy”was handed over to the Philippine Computer Society (PCS) by Mega Data Corporation. It is now up to the PCS to evaluate the system, since the association of computer professionals was tasked under Republic Act No. 8436, the country’s electoral modernization law, to nominate two representatives from the private sector to act as members of the technical advisory council to the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) regarding the automation of the country’s voting system.

Botong Pinoymakes use of a faster Internet-based nationwide counting system called eTabulation. The system assures speed, accuracy and efficiency in the conduct of an honest and orderly election process by computerizing any or all of the three main election processes: registration, voting and counting.

A major feature of Botong Pinoy is its voting system. “Voters simply either use the touch screen or the light, wired pen in voting when using the software, which only takes a few minutes,” Mega Data Corporation president and chief executive officer Rafael M. Garcia III says. A voter only needs to choose from among the names of the displayed candidates on the computer screen.

After voting, the computer automatically prints the person’s filled up ballot, which also shows a computer-generated fingerprint to be used for a manually tabulated audit count later on.

In registering voters, Botong Pinoy makes use of computers to get relevant information (e.g., complete name, age, residence address, etc.). The system also uses biometric technology to get a facial image and fingerprint of the person voting. With the use of such technology, no voter can enlist twice as this is easily detected by the system. Hence, this would eliminate electoral frauds such as multiple registrations, flying voters, dagdag bawas and “ghost voters,” Garcia points out.

“For a free country like ours, the right to suffrage has become a major tool of expression for the people that allows their voices to be heard clearly and more strongly. Ensuring clean and honest elections have been a long time dream of million of Filipinos, especially those who need help from elected politicians in terms of pursuing community projects for sustainable growth and development,” Garcia says.