Press Release
May 18, 2009

Poll automation will get RP out of the political rut - Gordon

Senator Richard J. Gordon (Ind.) today urged the government to ensure the success of nationwide automation in May 2010 because it will get the country out of the political rut it has fallen into.

Gordon, father of election modernization in the Philippines, underscored anew that clean, honest and credible elections brought by automated elections would ensure that the people's votes are counted and their voices will be heard.

"We have to continue with the preparations and ensure nationwide computerized elections in 2010. If we make this work, an automated election next year will be the turning point in Philippine democracy," he said.

Gordon made the call after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Jose Melo expressed fears that the current attempt to computerize balloting next year might lead to a no-election (No-el) scenario.

The Comelec said the disqualified bidders for automation technology might derail the planned automation by seeking a temporary restraining order (TRO) in court to stop the preparations.

The poll body added that if a TRO will be granted a few months before the balloting, it would be too late for the Comelec to prepare for manual elections.

Of the seven original companies that submitted bid documents to provide the automation technology, the Comelec's Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC) is considering only two bidders for the project..

Gordon, author of Republic Act (RA) 9369 or the amended Automated Elections System Law, pointed out that automating the elections will ensure that winning candidates will have the people's mandate.

Having the people's mandate would mean that elected officials can finally work towards progress instead of giving attention to electoral protests filed by their opponents who claim that they were cheated, he added.

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