MANILA, Philippines?The NDRRwhat?

The new name of old National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC)?called the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council or the NDRRMC?is proving to be a mouthful even for high government officials.

While discussing the possibility of postponing the barangay elections in some places up north, Commission on Elections Chairman Jose Melo stumbled twice in mentioning the NDRRMC on Tuesday.

"We will be getting a briefing from the.... from the...whatever the name is," Melo said in a media briefing, to chuckles among those present.

"Now, we are waiting for the reports from of the National Disaster Coordinating... uh, they changed the name... It's a jaw-breaker of a name... I don't know who devised that name," Melo said in jest.

Melo was telling reporters that the Comelec had been monitoring the situation in Northern Luzon after it was hit by Super-typhoon Juan (international codename: Megi).

He said that the Comelec was expecting the postponement of the October 25 barangay elections in areas that were badly hit by the typhoon.

"Expectedly, there will be barangays that are outlying or are in the hinterlands that might have landslides or what. We will prepare for that," Melo said.

He said that some places may have schools destroyed or occupied by refugees displaced by the typhoon.

"More important than this or just as important is the fact that there must be power. Because if there is no power and the vote count lasts until evening, that would be dangerous to our teachers. They need to have power," Melo said.

Melo said the NDRRMC will brief the Comelec Wednesday and the election body would then decide if the elections should be postponed in some areas in Northern Luzon.

"It seems the damage is not that extensive. So if at all, there will be not so many places where there will be postponement of elections. The elections in general will push through," he said.

On the other hand, Melo reminded candidates in the barangay elections "to behave" and not use relief operations to buy votes.

"Our countrymen know when someone is trying to buy them (off). They know the intention of the one giving them some goods," Melo said. "It's better not to give anything in exchange for the votes. So let?s behave, as I said, so that our countrymen won't say anything."

But Melo emphasized that the Comelec was not barring candidates from giving relief goods.

Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer said that vote buying could be a ground for disqualification of candidates.

Melo said that there was also a "little delay" in the printing of the ballots, particularly for Basilan, Surigao, and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, but it was being finished on Tuesday,

"We will be able to catch up. Although the plan there was to have everything ready by the 20th. We'll have a one-day delay," Melo said.