Partial poll automation should be considered due to orientation lack

The Philippines should consider partial automation of next year’s polls following reports that teachers – some of whom will act as election inspectors – may lack time to orient themselves about the new voting method. This was announced by House Speaker Prospero Nograles on Tuesday, citing concerns mentioned by education secretary Jesli Lapus. Teachers might be blamed for automation "ignorance" because they have yet to receive thorough orientation about the process of automated elections, the education secretary earlier said. As a result, Nograles said that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) should consider the proposed bill of Deputy Speaker Pabling Garcia. Once enacted, House Bill 6054 will mandate manual voting, counting and canvassing of votes. Only vote transmission will be done electronically. The bill is currently up for plenary debate, after securing approval from the House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms. The proposed law “might be an option that can be considered in the event that full automation cannot be achieved," Nograles said at a press briefing. The House Speaker also expressed “concern" about the delays of the Comelec’s voter information drive. "This voters' information drive on automation is supposed to have started November, and now [it's] December, and then I heard it's going to be January, I heard it's going to be February," he said. Garcia's proposal can be implemented even without enabling legislation, saying the Comelec is empowered to implement "the conduct and manner" of elections, Nograles said. Nograles made the statements on the same day that the Supreme Court extended the voters' registration period for the 2010 elections until January 9 in response to a petition by Kabataan Rep. Raymond Palatino. Comelec chairman Jose Melo said the decision placed the poll body in a difficult situation since it may be hard for them to come out with a voters' list on time. The process of approving voters, consolidating the master list, and its distribution to the precincts may take a lot of time, Melo said. Voters would encounter problems if the list does not reach a specific precinct in time for the May 10 elections, he added. - RJAB, Jr./GMANews.TV