Comelec exec raises chance of poll postponement in some areas

A member of the Commission on Elections has raised the possibility of some areas having the 2016 elections at a date later than May 9.

Commissioner Christian Robert Lim made the remark following delays in the poll body's preparations for the national and local elections.

"Ang problema kasi nakatali lahat 'yan. Let's say marami pa kaming mga problema, at let's say May 7 na nagko-configure pa rin kami ng machines. Kung hindi umabot sa area ['yung machines by May 9], hindi ka magkakaroon ng eleksyon," Lim said.

Asked if there is a possibility for the elections to be moved as a whole, Lim—who heads the Comelec's steering committee— said, "Depende."

"Kung, let's say, 50 percent of the entire area is not ready for May 9, then you may have to look into postponing, kasi that's major. Pero let's say 5 percent lang ang affected, then why will you postpone the 95 percent?" Lim said.

The poll body and technology provider Smartmatic-TMI are re-doing the process for the final trusted build or code for the Election Management System (EMS), after a problem in transmission was found in the Consolidation Canvassing System (CCS).

The EMS generates the design of the ballot.

Moreover, the printing of ballots has been postponed several times.

Moving date 'not allowed'

Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, the chairman of the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on the Automated Elections, said the date of the elections is "constitutionally fixed" and cannot be moved as a whole.

"Hindi po, kaya nga talagang dapat sikapin ng Comelec na hindi mangyari 'yun.... Moving the date of the elections is some areas can be done, but for grave and unavoidable reasons dapat," Pimentel told reporters.

"Nangyari na 'yan in the past elections—kahit ready ang Comelec, tapos may nangyaring pagsabog sa isang lugar, napo-postpone. Allowed po 'yun. But not the date of the elections, that cannot be moved," he added.

Pimentel said that Congress cannot interfere with the said provision in the constitution.

"The Congress can intervene by providing more funds if Comelec should request for more funds. That's all we can do as of the moment," Pimentel said.

"If there is a provision of law that needs to be interpreted by joint resolution, then Congress can help by clarifying the interpretation of the law. That's all we can do, but we cannot move the date of the elections," he added.

Pimentel said Comelec has the option to call for partial manual elections, as provided by law.

"From what I have seen, Comelec will be ready with automated elections on May 9,2016. Ang tanong na lang is kung mako-cover 'yung buong bansa. Let us pray na ma-cover 'yung buong bansa para maiwasan 'yung additional problems," Pimentel said.

"This time, 'yung problems ay political na in nature kasi 'yung mga natatalo o maghahabol, magsasabi na nadaya sila," he added.

'Worrisome'

Pimentel said he was "disappointed" that Comelec did not have enough early preparations for the polls.

He said that the Comelec's four-week buffer has been reduced to two weeks.

"It's worrisome, a very short period of time, because anything can happen... They're still compiling the source codes now and building the program. Who knows if there will be a bug that will be discovered? In the printing of ballots, who knows that maybe, they will encounter a problem with the printers?" Pimentel said.

"I am disappointed na ang dami nilang na-encounter na delays. With anticipation and foresight, sana na-foresee na nila," he added. -NB, GMA News