Press Release
November 30, 2020

Dispatch from Crame No. 983:
Sen. Leila M. de Lima on the Proposed GAA Amendment to waive safeguards in the Automated Election

Anyone who seeks to steal our elections is an enemy to our people and our democracy. They should be treated as such.

I was told that last night, it circulated over the social media that someone from the Senate is attempting to insert a provision in the national budget to give COMELEC the authority to waive the safeguards for the procurement of equipment and materials under Sec. 12 of the Automated Election Law, as amended.

There is NO EXCUSE for COMELEC not to undergo regular procurement. If they cannot do their job, they have no business running a most crucial institution. They better just resign. Any attempts at negotiated procurement for election equipment can only be seen as negotiating the elections itself.

I urge my colleagues in the bicameral panel to be vigilant against any dangerous amendments like this. I pray for my colleagues' success for the sake of our country.

Our elections are sacrosanct to our democracy. And COMELEC should resist any attempts by anyone to undermine its credibility, NO MATTER WHO APPOINTED THEM.

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