Mar 23, 2010 (The Manila Times - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- There will be no failure of elections on May 10, a high-ranking official of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) assured on Monday.
Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal, at the same time, agreed with election lawyer Romulo Macalintal that politicians who predict that the polls less than two months away will not happen must be cited in contempt.
Larrazabal said that people must realize the "serious implications" to the public of failure of election.
"It's so cheap to use the phrase 'failure of elections' now. Every person suddenly becomes an expert and says failure of elections. Do they actually realize what they are talking about and what it means to have failure of elections?" he asked.
Larrazabal said that the poll body is an independent institution and that they are doing their mandate to conduct fair and honest elections.
"We serve the people, not [just] any particular candidate, party or organization. We are doing our job for the Filipino people and we take this very seriously," he added.
The Comelec will be holding the first-ever nationwide automated polls on May 10 where the electoral process will make use of some 82,200 Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines to count, canvass and transmit the votes.
Political candidates and individuals, however, continue to stir fears that the election machines might not work on election day especially in far-flung areas where mobile-carrier signals are difficult.
Telecommunication companies will be the ones responsible for transmitting voting results to canvassing centers at municipality and national levels.
Earlier, Macalintal proposed that those who consistently accuse Comelec of not being ready for the automated polls must be served with a subpoena and required to present evidence on their claim.
Larrazabal said that there are requirements in declaring a failure of elections, discounting fears that the poll may not be held in case the election machines malfunction.
"Now, what's important is for people to go out and vote. If [they are unable to do so] because of threat and intimidation, you can call special elections two days after the May 10 elections. It's not the end of the world," he added.
Meanwhile, Larrazabal clarified reports that majority of public-school teachers who are undergoing training as members of the Board of Election Inspectors failed the practical exams conducted by the Department of Science and Technology.
"[My estimate] is that there were about 10 teachers out of 3,000 [who failed], so that's less than 1 percent," he said.
source: www.tmcnet.com
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