No election failure if voters cast their ballots, Comelec says

Everything will be alright as long as voters cast their ballots on May 10, the Commission on Elections said, in an attempt to allay poll failure fears. "Vote so that there would be no failure of elections. Even if everything failed to function, as long as people voted, there (will be) elections," Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento told reporters in an interview. The only time that a failure of elections can occur is when no voting happens, which may take place in case of a natural disaster, violence, terrorism, fraud, and other related causes, he said. But the commissioner noted that a national failure of elections has never happened before. "Hindi pa yan nangyari sa ating history (That has never happened in the history of the Philippines)," he said. He likewise said that the poll body will be coming out with a continuity or contingency plan to settle several issues on automation preparedness. "The Comelec is doing its best," he said. Sarmiento said that the Comelec rules of procedure provide that in the case of a national failure of elections, voting will be suspended and a verified petition must be filed with the Comelec. A due notice and hearing must then be conducted to determine when the next elections can be conducted, which should not be later than 30 days after the day of the elections. - GMANews.TV