No option on new ballot for substitution of candidates

Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Jose Melo on Monday admitted that he was still stumped by what to do about the substitution of candidates in automated elections. This issue looms as a potential crisis if former president Joseph Estrada, who has filed his certificate of candidacy for president again, is disqualified from running for a second term and must designate a substitute. Under manual elections, voters would be able to write in the name of his substitute. However, there is no substitution law that can be applied in automated elections since voters cannot write on the ballots, but can only shade circles next to candidates' names. “How can that (written names) be read by the machine?" Melo said. The Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines to be used in the May elections are only programmed to recognize the shading of the ovals placed beside the pre-printed names on a specific ballot. Melo said they had thought of printing extra ovals wherein numbers will be placed next to it and will be used to correspond for a specific substitute candidate, but he said this might confuse some voters. “That’s a prescription for confusion, di pwede siguro yan (maybe that should not be done)," he said. As of now, he said they are more inclined to just count the votes of the replaced candidate for the substitute. Other problems Among the other problems Melo cited are the numerous appeals that were filed by de-listed party-list groups and disqualified candidates, many of whom went to the Supreme Court after the Comelec denied their motions for reconsideration. “Nakaka-bother din (In a way we are bothered by it)," Melo said. Melo said that although he understands the predicament of these candidates, they should respect the decisions of the poll body. Melo had earlier expressed concern that poll machine supplier Smartmatic-TIM would not be able to deliver all 82,200 PCOS machines before the February 28 deadline. He was, however, relieved after the consortium delivered the first two batches last week. A total 9,600 PCOS units are also expected to arrive late Monday. In addition, several teachers’ organizations have scored the Comelec for the “late" training of public school teachers who will serve as Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) in the 2010 polls. Melo said this is for their own good, so that whatever they learn during the training in March will still be “fresh" in their memories come May. - KBK/HGS, GMANews.TV