Press Release
January 16, 2008

GORDON: ZUBIRI-PIMENTEL CASE COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED

Senator Richard J. Gordon believes that the Zubiri-Pimentel case would not occur if computerization was implemented by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC).

"Look at the Pimentel-Zubiri debacle, it wasted thousands of hours, millions of pesos, distracted us from the business of delivering services and security to the people and made us look like a banana republic in the eyes of the world, it would have not happened if elections were computerized" Gordon said.

Gordon is dismayed that the Automated Election System law was passed on January of 2007 with two elections held in the same year, but still not implemented.

"Enough is enough. I have always said that we should fix the problem and not the blame. But the inaction of the COMELEC on automation, its refusal to even bother to try it in two provinces as mandated by law, has cost us the credibility of yet another election," Gordon said.

Gordon added that the COMELEC failed to automate the national elections held in May and has yet again failed to automate during the barangay elections in October last year.

"We live in a world where speed is the norm. A fast count plus instant electronic transmission of results means less human intervention, no time for dagdag-bawas, and less opportunity for election violence. Fast, seamless, secure, peaceful, credible, honest elections. That is something we can be proud of."

"There is no point in talking about 2010 if it's going to be dishonest," Gordon said.

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