Gordon to Comelec: Automate or else…
There’s no more time, says Abalos
BY DENNIS GADIL - Malaya
SEN. Richard Gordon yesterday said Commission on Elections chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. could be jailed for graft and corruption and dereliction of duty if he insists on the postponement of the partial poll automation in the May 14 elections.
"The Commission on Elections has no business saying that it can no longer implement the law in time of the May elections. This is plain and simple shirking of responsibility," Gordon, chair of the Senate committee on constitutional amendments, revision of codes and laws, said.
Abalos, in an interview, said he would rather go to jail than be forced to implement a law for which the Comelec is not ready.
"If we fail because of lack of preparations, people will still talk ill of me long after I’m buried six feet below the ground," he said.
Gordon insists that partial automation is still doable and warned of "messy" elections in 2010 if this is not implemented in the May 14 election.
He stressed that enforcing partial automation in two provinces and two cities in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao for the coming elections would be the "the first and vital step toward real electoral reform."
"By initiating the system in the 2007 elections, we can make needed adjustments and changes in technology and organization for a nationwide automation of the vote," he said.
Gordon said Abalos could not use lack of time as an excuse.
"He was with the deliberations all the way. He could have prepared a long time ago. He knew that once both houses approved and ratified the bill, it’s enactment into a law becomes imminent," Gordon said.
He said it is common practice that once a Palace-backed measure is approved and ratified by Congress, it is only a matter of time before the President affixes her signature.
President Arroyo signed the poll automation bill into law last Tuesday, amending RA 9369 or the Election Automation Act.
Congress ratified the bill before going into Christmas recess last December.
The Comelec advisory council will convene on Monday to make a final decision on the viability of pilot testing automated voting, counting, canvassing, transmission and consolidation.
Last Jan. 2, the council, composed of representatives from other government agencies and technical consultants, recommended that the pilot testing be dropped due to lack of time and preparation.
The council backed full automation for 2010, adding that two years would be needed for the study and selection of the best technology, training of personnel and public demonstration and education.
Abalos said Comelec may still implement the electronic transmission of voting results since this may be done with the use of simple technology such as facsimile, e-mail or even texting.
"Electronic transmission would lessen incidents of possible cheating," he said.
He said Comelec, if pressed, could still adopt partial computerization in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, instead of the two highly urbanized cities and two provinces each in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao as required by the law.
"Perhaps we can implement it in just one region, ARMM, because that’s a problem area," he said.
"In our consultations, some local officials said they wanted to study it first while some asked what if problems occurred and cause confusion among the candidates and the electorate," he said.
He said Comelec has not received the P2.6 billion which Malacañang said it has set aside for the law’s initial implementation. He said the law requires that the funds come from the Comelec’s election modernization funds.
Malacañang downplayed concerns that the automation law may not be implemented this year.
"Whether it is implemented this year or not, we at least have an updated automation law in place," said presidential political adviser Gabriel Claudio.
Claudio said Malacañang wanted an automated system in place as early as 2004 to ensure clean and honest elections but "it was caught in extended acrimonious debates in the Senate."
He said there was no undue delay in the signing of the bill because the enrolled copies had to be subjected to review by Malacañang’s legal department and to consultations with concerned agencies. If the bill had not been signed, it would have lapsed into law on Feb. 10.
Chief presidential legal counsel Sergio Antonio Apostol said the President did the right thing in signing the bill even if it could no longer be implemented.
"Yung timing lang naman ang naging problema. Andiyan na ang batas, di pirmahan na lalo na’t priority bill iyan. At least may batas na on poll automation. We have a legal basis already to implement it. Bakit ibi-veto kung mapapakinabangan at least sa mga susunod na elections?" he said.
RA 9369 requires a fully automated election system in the May 10, 2010 elections. But first, it should be pilot-tested in at least two highly urbanized cities and two provinces each in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao in the 2007 elections.
The amount of P2.6 billion for the automated election system shall be charged against the Comelec’s modernization fund for this year. This is aside from the P3 billion necessary to carry out the manual system which shall also be charged from the poll body’s budget. – With Gerard Anthony Naval and Regina Bengco
BY DENNIS GADIL - Malaya
SEN. Richard Gordon yesterday said Commission on Elections chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. could be jailed for graft and corruption and dereliction of duty if he insists on the postponement of the partial poll automation in the May 14 elections.
"The Commission on Elections has no business saying that it can no longer implement the law in time of the May elections. This is plain and simple shirking of responsibility," Gordon, chair of the Senate committee on constitutional amendments, revision of codes and laws, said.
Abalos, in an interview, said he would rather go to jail than be forced to implement a law for which the Comelec is not ready.
"If we fail because of lack of preparations, people will still talk ill of me long after I’m buried six feet below the ground," he said.
Gordon insists that partial automation is still doable and warned of "messy" elections in 2010 if this is not implemented in the May 14 election.
He stressed that enforcing partial automation in two provinces and two cities in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao for the coming elections would be the "the first and vital step toward real electoral reform."
"By initiating the system in the 2007 elections, we can make needed adjustments and changes in technology and organization for a nationwide automation of the vote," he said.
Gordon said Abalos could not use lack of time as an excuse.
"He was with the deliberations all the way. He could have prepared a long time ago. He knew that once both houses approved and ratified the bill, it’s enactment into a law becomes imminent," Gordon said.
He said it is common practice that once a Palace-backed measure is approved and ratified by Congress, it is only a matter of time before the President affixes her signature.
President Arroyo signed the poll automation bill into law last Tuesday, amending RA 9369 or the Election Automation Act.
Congress ratified the bill before going into Christmas recess last December.
The Comelec advisory council will convene on Monday to make a final decision on the viability of pilot testing automated voting, counting, canvassing, transmission and consolidation.
Last Jan. 2, the council, composed of representatives from other government agencies and technical consultants, recommended that the pilot testing be dropped due to lack of time and preparation.
The council backed full automation for 2010, adding that two years would be needed for the study and selection of the best technology, training of personnel and public demonstration and education.
Abalos said Comelec may still implement the electronic transmission of voting results since this may be done with the use of simple technology such as facsimile, e-mail or even texting.
"Electronic transmission would lessen incidents of possible cheating," he said.
He said Comelec, if pressed, could still adopt partial computerization in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, instead of the two highly urbanized cities and two provinces each in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao as required by the law.
"Perhaps we can implement it in just one region, ARMM, because that’s a problem area," he said.
"In our consultations, some local officials said they wanted to study it first while some asked what if problems occurred and cause confusion among the candidates and the electorate," he said.
He said Comelec has not received the P2.6 billion which Malacañang said it has set aside for the law’s initial implementation. He said the law requires that the funds come from the Comelec’s election modernization funds.
Malacañang downplayed concerns that the automation law may not be implemented this year.
"Whether it is implemented this year or not, we at least have an updated automation law in place," said presidential political adviser Gabriel Claudio.
Claudio said Malacañang wanted an automated system in place as early as 2004 to ensure clean and honest elections but "it was caught in extended acrimonious debates in the Senate."
He said there was no undue delay in the signing of the bill because the enrolled copies had to be subjected to review by Malacañang’s legal department and to consultations with concerned agencies. If the bill had not been signed, it would have lapsed into law on Feb. 10.
Chief presidential legal counsel Sergio Antonio Apostol said the President did the right thing in signing the bill even if it could no longer be implemented.
"Yung timing lang naman ang naging problema. Andiyan na ang batas, di pirmahan na lalo na’t priority bill iyan. At least may batas na on poll automation. We have a legal basis already to implement it. Bakit ibi-veto kung mapapakinabangan at least sa mga susunod na elections?" he said.
RA 9369 requires a fully automated election system in the May 10, 2010 elections. But first, it should be pilot-tested in at least two highly urbanized cities and two provinces each in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao in the 2007 elections.
The amount of P2.6 billion for the automated election system shall be charged against the Comelec’s modernization fund for this year. This is aside from the P3 billion necessary to carry out the manual system which shall also be charged from the poll body’s budget. – With Gerard Anthony Naval and Regina Bengco
posted by OlongapoCity Zambales at
7:13 AM
1 Comments:
Sir:
I have article connected to this issue... http://www.punto-online.com/bulok.htm
thanks
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Anonymous, at 1/28/2007 1:07 PM
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