The Supreme Court has nullified the contract for the automated counting machines bought by COMELEC. If not for the decision, I would have never known that COMELEC had been using Beta Software to demonstrate the functionality of the counting machines.
But come to think of it, even without the counting machines, elections in our country feels like beta testing software. When we elect officials, we don’t know what to expect. Is the person going to perform as promised? Is he or she in the right state of mind? How much (or what) will it cost us? Unlike software, however, we can never test these officials in an isolated environment. In short, the beta product IS the final product.
Let us choose wisely in the upcoming elections. It should never be about popularity or hype. Let’s not do another Erap. Let’s not elect someone with a shady background.