Poll watchdog wants 2-day elections
By Thea Alberto
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 15:01:00 11/18/2008
Filed Under: Eleksyon 2010
MANILA, Philippines -- A Catholic church-based election watchdog is proposing that the 2010 elections be held over two days, instead of just 10 hours, to encourage people to vote.
At a forum on Tuesday, Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting national chair Henrietta de Villa also proposed adopting the practice in the United States of allowing voters to vote a day ahead of the scheduled elections.
She said she also agrees with Senator Richard Gordon's proposal to extend the election time and separate the local from the national polls.
"Like in America where [people can vote] even one day before the elections...and local [elections should be] separate from national," said de Villa.
She also said the longer voting period would not attract more cheating.
"I don't think so. That depends on the watchers and the safeguards in place so, when you look at it, whether 10 days, or one day, or two hours, if cheating is there, there will be. We just have to be vigilant," de Villa said.
At the same time, de Villa also agreed to proposals for holding mandatory presidential debates to help voters make the proper choice during the next presidential elections.
"We've always advocated debates since the presidential elections in 2004 but on the day [of the debate] itself all they send are the proxies," de Villa said.
But she said "in the 2010 elections, we might be able to push this because the Comelec [Commission on Elections] is also very keen about the debate."
She said candidates have nothing to be scared about debates and could even make these work to their advantage.
De Villa said they will collaborate with the Comelec to exclude the time of the debates from the allowed advertising airtime, giving the candidates free media exposure.
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