Press Release
September 15, 2008

GORDON CHIDES MELO FOR INDECISIVENESS IN POLL AUTOMATION

Senator Richard J. Gordon today chided Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Jose Melo for his indecisive stance on the issue of election automation, saying that he leaves more serious questions about the poll body's sincerity and determination to implement it come May 2010 national and local elections.

Gordon, chairman of the joint congressional oversight committee on automated election system, said it is at the heights of indecisiveness when the Comelec came up with five different budget proposals, practically passing the buck to Malacanang and Congress.

"Instead of making a more definitive recommendation and giving a budget proposal on its preferred voting system for the 2010 elections, what the Comelec did tantamounts to passing the buck to Congress," he said.

"This obviously shows the lack of sincerity and determination on their part to implement the law. We do hope Chairman Melo would take a more definitive stance as the poll body is mandated by law to implement the law," he added.

Melo earlier claimed that the Comelec has prepared five budget proposals to be submitted to Malacanang and Congress for the full election automation, the highest of which amounts to P61.9 billion and the lowest P3.5 billion.

According to Gordon, the move to submit many proposals by which Malacanang and Congress may choose from would just lead to more debates and discussions that would eat up more time. The Comelec should propose, and Congress disposes, he added.

"When you present a lot of options, you just make room for more debates, and we don't have time for that. It also puts the poll body with more questions not only about its sincerity and determination but also its capability to implement it," he said.

"We want the Comelec to come up with its own decision and one budget proposal so that it can be granted to them the soonest possible time and they could immediately start preparations for the 2010 elections," he added.

Gordon also noted that the full automation of the May 2010 elections should be given due priority since no less than President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo repeatedly expressed strong support for the full automation of election in her State of the Nation Address as well as in her 10-point agenda.

Gordon, author of the Amended Automated Election Law, also mentioned that the Comelec will greatly benefit from the poll automation because once the election is fully automated, the Comelec would regain its credibility as an independent poll body and it can have its hand on other election-related cases, apart from electoral protests.

"How much is our democracy worth? Don't we want closure to issues of illegitimacy that has haunted past administrations? Don't we want clean, honest and credible elections? I believe we all eagerly want that. And a fully automated elections will lead us to the reality of our dream of having credible leaders voted through a credible system of election," Gordon ended.

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