LOREN: ELECTIONS SHOULD PUSH THROUGH ON MAY 10

NP-NPC-LDP Vice Presidential bet Senator Loren Legarda today condemned conspiracy theories and proposals for delaying elections and failure of elections, saying that elections should push through on May 10 to maintain its credibility.

"The election is a direct exercise of sovereignty of the people over its government. It happens once every three years, and I think Filipinos have been waiting for so long to cast their vote and change who leads the government. We should not frustrate their will," said Loren.

According to Loren, "Masama pong ugali ang ipagpaliban ang isang bagay dahil hindi handa, dahil maaring pumalpak. May ilang araw pa bago mag-eleksyon. Kaya pa pong ayusin ang anumang mga gusot na lumalabas sa PCOS machines. Maganda pong nakikita natin ngayon pa lang ang mga ganitong pagkukulang sa mga machine, but this should push COMELEC to work harder, and for us to be more vigilant come election time. It should not be in any way used as an excuse to dilly-dally."

"If we delay the elections, if we perpetrate the failure of elections possibility, then we discredit our capability to hold peaceful and honest elections and allow more opportunities for election fraud and cheating," said Loren.

Loren said that she still believes that our institutions for elections can still work, and hopes that the necessity for a credible election will bring out the best in people and in our institutions.

"If we have contentions about how the election was conducted or about its results, the proper venue for relief should be to the COMELEC -- not to the streets, not to a military take over, and most especially not for the extension of power of the president," Loren said.

"All these talk about extra-constitutional means to decide the next leaders of our country should stop. It's demoralizing for our voters. It detracts investors from setting up more businesses that provide jobs, that grows our economy. It creates political instability at a time when all of should unite for our country's future," said Loren.