Comelec seeks passage of law allowing early ARMM polls

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday urged lawmakers to pass pending bills that would allow polls to be held at least a week earlier at the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The Senate and the House of Representatives should immediately act on Senate Bill 2072 introduced by Senator Richard Gordon and House Bills 3437 filed by Rep. Pedro Romualdo and HB 5578 by Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, Commissioner Rene Sarmiento said in an interview with reporters. Besides enabling early elections in Muslim Mindanao, these bills – once approved – will allow residents to vote in places “secured" by the military and police and that the election body will be more “focused" there. “There is wisdom in these bills," the Comelec Commissioner said. “If we are concerned with what happened in Maguindanao, we have to do this... to avoid a repeat of situations." Republic Act 7056 only allows for the synchronized conduct of elections nationwide. Sarmiento also expressed disappointment since some of the bills, which were filed in early 2008, have not progressed. “What takes them so long to act on the bill? Sana itong kongreso i-fast track na (I hope the Congress fast tracks this)," he said. However, he was thankful to lawmakers who were helping them push for early elections in the ARMM. “Congressman Romualdo has been very supportive," he said. Earlier, Defense Chief Norberto Gonzales met with the poll body to discuss the involvement of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in the security of the 2010 elections. Sarmiento said that the Comelec is also pushing for the enactment of a law that would allow for the counting of a vote of a certain candidate for his substitute. - RJAB Jr./GMANews.TV