FILE PHOTO: Sen. Aquilino ‘Koko’ Pimentel III (UNTV News)
MANILA, Philippines — The omnibus election code or the law which states the basis to do manual elections in the country, still exists.
According to Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, chairman of the Senate Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation, the said law is not repealed. He said that if it is impossible to do automated elections on 2016, we can exercise manual elections in accordance with omnibus election code.
“Preferably automated but there is a reason, an insurmountable obstacle which prevented us from holding automated election. Ako ang interpretation ko sa batas eh, we can hold the manual (election) and there’s a legal basis for that; the old law which was not repealed.”
(Preferably automated but there is a reason an insurmountable obstacle which prevented us from holding automated election. My interpretation of the law is that, we can hold a manual (election) and there’s a legal basis for that; the old law which was not repealed)
Senator Pimentel stressed that holding a manual election can be considered a worst-case scenario, but not a violation of the law.
Senator Francis Escudero, however, had earlier stated that it is in violation with the law if the country will go back to manual elections.
Escudero said, “Hindi tayo pwedeng bumalik sa manual election sa simpleng dahilan, nakasaad sa batas automated dapat ang ating halalan, so paglabag sa batas ang pagkakaroon ng isang manual elections.”
(We cannot go back to the manual election simply because according to the law, elections should be automated. So, it is a violation of the law to conduct manual elections)
Meanwhile, Senator Pimentel calls for the COMELEC to fill its vacant positions as the 2016 national elections is getting nearer. He believes that the commission can function better if the number of commissioners is complete.
(BRYAN DE PAZ / UNTV News)