Comelec is seriously undermining credibility
of coming polls---Sen. Marcos

Vice presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos, Jr. today hit the Commission on Elections for seriously undermining the credibility of the coming elections with its refusal to comply with the Supreme Court order requiring vote counting machines to issue printed ballot receipts.

In view of the limited time available to reconfigure the voting machines, longer voting hours that would ensue and other logistical requirements needed to comply with the SC ruling, the Comelec warned it may have to move the elections to June 9 and resort to manual voting.

But with such pronouncements, Marcos said "the Comelec is seriously undermining the credibility of the elections with its posturing."

The senator said it is puzzling why the poll body is not only refusing to obey the order of the SC but is presenting alternatives that run counter to the 1987 Constitution and the Automated Election Law.

"I can't understand why they are saying these things. (Comelec) Chairman Andres Bautista is a lawyer and the Constitution clearly says that the elections should be held on the second Monday of May. Likewise, the law says that electronic counting of votes is required for national and local elections," he said.

Marcos said the Comelec's posture is causing worry among the candidates, noting that in the past the manual voting proved to be susceptible to various schemes of manipulation and cheating.

"You can't help but think we are being led to a setup," Marcos said.

"And who are going to have the advantage if there is 'hocus-PCOS? Of course not the independent candidates like me, not those who are leading in the surveys," he added.

Marcos said he would do everything he could to oppose the Comelec's move.

"First, they should comply with the Supreme Court order. Second, they should hold the elections at the proper date: on the second Monday of May. And the voting should not be manual," he insisted.