PCOS hitch triggers mixed reactions, proposals

CEBU, Philippines -  The machine glitch encountered by the Commission on Elections in the preparation for the country’s first ever poll automation has drawn mixed reactions and proposals from incumbent politicians who are seeking reelections as well as from those who have just entered politics.

While Rep. Pastor Alcover of the ANAD partylist warned of a possible people power because disgruntled groups might exploit the situation, an acknowledge constitutionalist and Cebu’s Second District Rep. Pablo Garcia pitches to postpone the elections.

Garcia said postponing the elections is better in order to protect the integrity and credibility of the electoral process. Bogo City Mayoralty candidate Mariquita Salimbangon supports the idea of postponing the elections saying that the poll body is not yet ready for the exercise.

But, Alcover said this is dangerous because of the possibility of a “Bloody EDSA Revolution.”

Fourth District Rep. Benhur Salimbangon and Sixth District Rep. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz are opposed to the idea. According to them, there was no declaration from the Comelec that all PCOS machines are defective. Besides Ruiz argued it would be unconstitutional to postpone the election since it is mandated in the Constitution.

Butch Abad, campaign manager of the Liberal Party, said that they will insist that the election will push through as scheduled.

“We believed that Comelec can do it if it wants to. What it needs to is to put together a continuity or back-up plan for full manual process including the printing of all the necessary paraphernalia,” Abad told The FREEMAN.

United Opposition spokesperson Ernesto Maceda said the issue of postponing the election is nothing but a “script” and there will be “People Power”. — THE FREEMAN