Aquino urged to appoint new Comelec members soon

MANILA, Philippines - Congressmen yesterday warned President Aquino of the possibility of the nation going back to manual voting in May next year unless he appoints three new additional members of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) soon.

They aired the warning after acting Comelec Chairman Christian Robert Lim told them during a House committee on suffrage and electoral reform hearing that the poll body’s lack of members is stymying its preparations for the 2016 general elections.

“The President has to appoint a chairman and additional commissioners soon so that the preparations could be speeded up,” Nueva Vizcaya Rep. and Deputy Speaker Carlos Padilla said.

“After the successful automated balloting in 2010 and 2013, we cannot go back to the manual system of voting, which I think is more prone to irregularities,” he said.

Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. of Dasmariñas City in Cavite said the possibility of the nation going back to manual election “is great, considering that even in the matter of procuring voting equipment and supplies, the decision-making process in the Comelec is apparently being hampered by its lack of members.”

“Already, there have been two failed biddings – one for the procurement of precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines and another for a service provider that would transmit election results,” he said.

Caloocan City Rep. Edgar Erice said: “We are almost near red alert as far as preparations for next year’s polls are concerned.”

After hearing the dire warnings of his colleagues, Capiz Rep. Fredenil Castro, suffrage and electoral committee chairman, decided to hold another hearing today on election preparations.

“We are inviting all four commissioners and the members of the bids and awards committee (BAC) so that we can help them resolve issues relating to next year’s elections,” he said.

Three seats in the Comelec have been vacant since early last month when chairman Sixto Brillantes and two commissioners retired. – With Sheila Crisostomo