Automation of 2010 elections to end Cha-cha talks - Gordon

All talks of amending the 1987 Constitution aimed at extending the term of office of incumbent officials would soon dissipate once the Arroyo administration fulfills its pledge to automate the May 2010 presidential elections.

Independent Senator Richard J. Gordon made the statement as he urged President Arroyo to submit a supplemental budget for the automation of the 2010 elections as soon as Congress resumes session on Jan. 19.

"There are a lot of rumors circulating that the supplemental budget for poll automation has not been released apparently because of Cha-cha or that President Arroyo would extend her term," he said.

"But all of these accusations would dissipate once people see that the government is really working to have honest, speedy and reliable elections through the automation of the electoral system," he added.

Gordon, author of the Amended Automated Elections Law, said the Budget Department should now prepare to submit to Congress the supplemental budget for poll automation, especially after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said that it already submitted the P13.9-billion budget proposal.

He explained that while there is still enough time to automate the 2010 elections, it is best to start immediately to ensure that everything would be laid out well not only with the voting machines, but also with regard teachers' training and voters' education.

Gordon also said that the Comelec should prioritize automating the elections more than anything else because a computerized voting and counting system would avert "wholesale cheating" which is very common in manual elections.

"The priority should really be the computerized elections because with automated elections we could avert wholesale cheating, which happens with dagdag-bawas. That could be prevented because voting and counting would be fast with an automated system," he said.