Palace to Zubiri: Don't blame us for poor poll preparations

Branding as "non sequitur" Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri's statement that the executive branch is partly to blame for the delays in the October 25 village and youth council elections, Malacanang said Wednesday that it should not be blamed for the delays because it was the Commission on Elections (Comelec) who called all the shots in the polls. Zubiri said Tuesday that President Benigno Aquino III should have postponed the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections as some lawmakers, including him, proposed. Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda, however, said "that is a non-sequitur statement on the part of Senator Zubiri." "Comelec should have been there doing the job and Senator Zubiri should not pin the blame on the President or on the Executive branch, knowing that the Comelec is a constitutionally independent body and they’re the ones responsible for supervising the elections," Lacierda said in a press briefing. He noted that the date of the barangay elections is in the law so the Comelec should have prepared thoroughly to ensure that everything goes smoothly on election day. "When it’s election time, Comelec is king. They supervise the elections, they deputize the PNP (Philippine National Police), they do all these stuff necessary for the conduct of the elections," he said. "The government, at least the executive branch, should not be blamed for the lack of preparations on the part of a constitutionally independent body tasked to supervise the elections," added the Palace official. Zubiri authored Senate Bill No. 60 that sought to move the October 2010 elections to October 2012. The measure, however, was shot down by other lawmakers especially those allied with the administration after Aquino said he wanted the elections to push through. "Sana makinig at wag sanang matigas ang ulo ng administrasyong ito para walang sisihan (This administration should listen to suggestions and not be bull-headed so there will be no finger pointing later)," Zubiri said. "Ayaw ni [Aquino] na i-postpone, kaya ngayon ang daming palpak at galit pa siya. Matitigas kasi ang ulo ng mga nag-aadvice sa kanya (Aquino didn't want to postpone the polls, and now that so many problems crop up, he fumes. He should blame the stubbornness of his advisers)," added the senator. Barangay and SK elections were postponed Monday in 2,460 of the 42,025 barangays (villages) in the country, primarily due to the delay in the delivery of election materials and the damage caused by last week’s typhoon Juan in several parts of northern Luzon. Aquino, after voting in Tarlac City, said he was not satisfied with the Comelec's preparations for the polls. Comelec chairman Jose Melo has acknowledged that the poll body had shortcomings but maintained that the elections were generally successful.—JV, GMANews.TV