By Jelly F. Musico
MANILA, April 22 (PNA) – Senator Francis Escudero dispelled on Wednesday the possibility that the country will go back to manual elections after the Supreme Court (SC) stopped the Commission on Elections-Smartmatic-TIM deal for repair and refurbishing of precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines to be used in the 2016 polls.
”We cannot go back to manual elections for a simple reason that it is stated in the law that our elections should be automated. So manual election is a violation of the law,” Escudero said at the weekly Kapihan sa Senado.
Escudero also allayed fears by some sectors that the SC decision might lead to “no election” in 2016.
”Even the ‘no election’ scenario is impossible because the Comelec is mandated to lead the election in our country every three years. It is illegal and unconstitutional,” the lawmaker said.
He said even a postponement is not possible since “under the Constitution and even under our laws, elections cannot and should not be postponed.”
”The Comelec has no power to do that. Since we became a republic in 1946, I think, not once a national election has been postponed, except for SK (Sangguniang Kabataan),” he explained.
Escudero said the Comelec has enough time for the rebidding of the contract to check and repair the 82,000 PCOS machines used by the country in its first two automated elections in 2010 and 2013.
”Now, if they (Comelec) has no enough money, they can ask for additional fund from Congress for the automated election in 2016,” Escudero said.
He advised the Comelec not to file a motion for reconsideration against a unanimous decision of the SC to rescind the so-called midnight deal contract between Comelec and Smartmatic.
”If I were them, because most likely the court will not reverse its decision, they should not file a motion for reconsideration so that they will have more time to find solution based on the SC ruling,” Escudero said.
”For me, they should bid it out again and follow the right process,” he added.
The country is scheduled to hold its third automated national elections in May next year. (PNA)