ROXAS: JAIL ERRING OFFICIALS IN FOLDER OVERPRICING SCANDAL

Erring officials involved in the ballot secrecy overpricing scandal should be punished accordingly and charges filed against them to discourage further anomalies in the preparations for the May 10 national and local elections, Liberal Party vice presidential race frontrunner Senator Mar Roxas said today.

Roxas stressed the Commission on Elections could not take any chances in the orderly, clean and successful conduct of the country's first automated elections.

"Ang kinabukasan ng kabataan at susunod pang mga henerasyon ang nakataya sa susunod na halalan, kaya dapat siguruhin ng Comelec na magiging matuwid, malinis at matagumpay ang nalalapit na May 10 elections," he said.

He added: "Ang kredibilidad ng ating halalan ang pinakamahalagang mana na maiaalay ng Comelec sa ating mga susunod na henerasyon. Ito ang pangunahing dahilan para maipakita natin sa buong mundo, at sa ating mga kababayan, ang kahalagahan ng ating karapatan magsalita at iboto ang tamang lider na magsasalba sa ating bayan mula sa samu't-saring kahihiyan."

Roxas said the Comelec should rush its investigation into the ballot secrecy overpricing scandal and file the necessary charges against poll officials who would be found to have been involved in the anomalous bidding to discourage more irregularities from happening.

"Kailangan bilisan ng Comelec itong imbestigasyon nila nang sa ganun ay magtuloy-tuloy na ang mga preparasyon para sa eleksyon. Kitang-kita naman natin na hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa handa ang Comelec para dito sa poll automation na ito," he also said.

The Visayan senator said the scandal has only bolstered public speculations and apprehension of a failure of elections.

"Isa na naman itong dahilan na nagpapatibay ng pag-aalala ng Partido Liberal na hindi magaganap ang implementasyon ng isang matapat, malinis, maayos at mapayapang eleksyon," Roxas added.

On the other hand, LP Director General Chito Gascon appealed again to the Comelec to ensure the successful conduct of the first automated election system (AES).

"Sabi ni Chairman Melo, puwede na raw siyang matulog ng mahimbing. Sana po ganoon din ang aming pananaw. Subalit meron pang bagong pangamba, hindi pa ito ang tamang panahon para matulog ng mahimbing maliban na lamang kung makakatiyak sila na magiging matagumpay ang automated poll," Gascon said.

Roxas and LP standard-bearer Senator Noynoy Aquino have earlier called the attention of Comelec Chairman Jose Melo to alarming developments in the body's poll preparations, which they said pointed to a possible failure of the May 10 elections. Among those cited by Aquino and Roxas was the removal of safeguards that would ensure a fraud-free, successful AES.