Now that the elections are over, and the results have finally reflected the real voice of the people, I think it is only proper to commend the Filipino people for a job well done. Contrary to the naysayers, the glitches and the most dismal expectations, the country's first automated election turned out to be a success.
After months of criticisms and pessimisms thrown against the Comelec and Smartmatic, the guys have proven that they can live up to their promise to deliver a clean, honest and surprisingly quick nationwide automated poll. I believe its success restored Comelec's credibility.
Kudos also to the thousands of teachers, policemen and soldiers, and the many citizens' organizations who help made the election peaceful and orderly (on most parts of the country). They are the guardians of the electoral exercise who are surely worthy of the people's trust.
And finally, to the voting public who deserve a pat on the back. Even the scorching heat, long queues and many glitches did not deter the people from exercising their right to vote.
Even though my candidate did not win, I still want to commend Sen. Dick Gordon for authoring the nationwide poll automation. Certainly, this is the country's first step towards liberalization.
While there are still a lot of lessons to be learned, as a Filipino, I am keeping my hopes high that this will be the start of better and brighter Philippine society.
