MANILA, Philippines – Several lawmakers pressed for the immediate passage of the Succession Bill that would empower Congress to appoint a temporary president as the uncertainty over the election automation fueled talk of a no election scenario in 2010.

Representatives Giorgidi Aggabao of Isabela and Maria Milagros Magsaysay of Zambales told the Serye news forum in Quezon City that it was time for the country legislate a measure that would state who would lead the nation in cases of failure of election.

Aggabao said that it has always been presumed that if there was no elected President, Vice President, Senate President or House Speaker, the Supreme Court Chief Justice could take over, but the congressman stressed that such provision was not in the Constitution.

Magsaysay said that the bill on succession “should be out in the fore” amid the “confusion in poll automation.”

“There has been a lot of misconception on how it would be implemented. We should be a little cautious and be prepared for any eventuality,” Magsaysay said.

House Bill 3194, authored by Nueva Ecija Representative Eduardo Nonato Joson, provides for the manner in which an acting president shall be elected in case the President, Vice president, Senate President and House Speaker fail to qualify or are unable to discharge the functions of office, in anticipation of any vacuum in office such as a failure of election.

“The bill is precisely to address the political vacuum issue whether highly probable or not, so its relevance is for all times or uncertainty,” Joson said in a text message.

Based on Section 7 of Article VII of the 1987 Constitution, the vice-president-elect will take over if no President wins; the Senate President shall take over if the President and Vice President have not been elected; and the House Speaker will rule if the President, Vice President and Senate president are not available.

Joson said that Section 8 of the same constitutional provision tasked Congress to choose a temporary leader until a President has been elected.

Last week, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Jose Melo said a no election scenario was possible if losing bidders for the automation project would file charges in court.

The Comelec is considering the bid of one consortium for the P11.2-billion automation contract after it disqualified nine other bidders.