Press Release
May 15, 2009

CHIZ TO CHAIRMAN MELO: PEOPLE'S NIGHTMARE IS FAILURE
OF 2010 POLLS

Opposition Sen. Chiz Escudero yesterday said failure of elections will be our people's worst nightmare if the Comelec does not get its act together in implementing the automation of the 2010 polls.

"Now even Chairman Melo has doubts about how this rush to automation will end. Now he warns us about the specter of revolution. If the bidding process is above board, then he should be able to sleep well," he said in a statement.

"If he knows that the Comelec is prepared to ensure a failsafe implementation of the automation process then there should be no sleepless nights for him," said Escudero, who is chair of Senate oversight committee on poll automation.

The senator also said the courts cannot issue a temporary restraining order to stop the holding of elections should the losing bidders challenge the decision of the Comelec on the P11.3 billion automation project.

"Chairman Melo knows very well what happened to the Megapacific case. He should therefore have a plan B, otherwise he and his colleagues will have to answer to the people," Escudero said.

"What he should be afraid even more is the failure of elections if automation is carelessly done. That is a nightmare we may never wake up from," he warned.

The Comelec chair raised a possible no-election scenario if the losing bidders challenge its decision on the biggest, single contract for a government project.

The poll body has reconsidered the bids of four of the seven consortiums which had been disqualified for failure to submit some of the required documents. Melo said the Comelec will announce the result of the bidding this weekend.

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