MANILA, Philippines ? Saying cheating can still happen even with the automated system of elections, Ilocos Norte Representativ Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. urged opposition political parties Friday to form a coalition against electoral fraud for the May 2010 election.

Marcos, who is planning to run for senator next year, called on the Nacionalista Party, Liberal Party, Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino-United Opposition and the Nationalist People?s Coalition to come up with a "united front" to guard the people's votes against manipulation and cheating that has marred the past elections.

"I am in the opposition and it is up [to us] to guard our votes," he said in a text message.

"The administration has the Comelec to guard their votes and whatever else. We in opposition do not have such an entity. We must organize ourselves to do it," he said when asked why the administration party Lakas-Kampi was not included in the initiative.

The country will try the full automated system for the first time in the May 2010 election.

?It?s going to be the first nationwide automated elections in the country that?s why we need to have a united front that would guard people?s votes,? Marcos said in a separate statement.

He said the proposed united front could assign computer experts and a lawyer in every precinct to monitor the elections and raise questions regarding the process.

?If there are IT [information technology] experts and lawyers in each precinct, some candidates or parties will find it very hard to cheat. They can easily notice if there is something fishy going on,? he said.