Comelec needs 2 to 7 months prep time if SC orders early ARMM polls

The Commission on Elections may ask for lead time of two to seven months to prepare for "early" elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) if the Supreme Court orders it, the poll body’s chairman said Saturday. Early ARMM polls became a possibility last Tuesday when the high court issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the replacement of elected incumbent ARMM officials with appointed officers-in-charge (OICs) screened by a committee. Incumbent ARMM officials’ terms will end on September 30, 2011. Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said, in an interview on dzXL radio, the poll body would likely ask the High court for the flexibility to determine the length of preparation time for the ARMM polls. "(K)ung automated elections ito, it would take a longer period for us to prepare, at least six months kailangan kung automated. sa bidding, preparation, manufacturing, pero makuha namin anim na buwan, at most seven months. Kung mano-mano mas maiksi, two months," Brillante explained. Brillantes assured that the Comelec has enough funds to conduct the ARMM polls, adding the poll body will likely draw from the funds for the original August 8 ARMM elections and from savings. "Kung sasabihin ng Supreme Court magkaroon ng election uli ngayon magkakaroon ng simultaneous election preparation so pahirap kaunti but I think we'll be able to do it," he said. The OICs, if and when appointed, will hold office until the May 2013 elections, when Republic Act No. 10153 postponed the ARMM elections and synchronized them with scheduled 2013 national and local elections. — ELR/LBG, GMA News