MANILA, Philippines—Perhaps, Commission on Elections Chair Jose Melo should have kept his nightmares to himself.

Now, for sharing his fears of a no-election scenario with the public, he has reaped the ire of three opposition presidential aspirants and several congressmen—not to mention Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez.

With their presidential ambitions on the line, Senators Loren Legarda, Manuel “Mar” Roxas II and Francis Escudero Friday rebuked Melo for his remarks.

Some lawmakers claimed the “no-el” scenario raised by Melo could be part of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s bag of tricks to stay in power.

Melo told the media the other day he feared some losing bidders in the plan to computerize the elections, or other groups, might go to the Supreme Court and challenge the award of the P11.3 billion automation contract. This could result in a last-minute temporary restraining order, leaving the poll body no time to hold manual elections.

“That would be chaos … That is my nightmare,” Melo said.

Legarda said in a statement: “Who gets to benefit from a no-election scenario? Isn’t it the administration? Now comes the Comelec doing a mind conditioning of its own, wittingly or unwittingly, by saying that losing bidders may sue to stop not only poll automation but the election itself.”

“Twists and turns are emerging in the administration’s storyline, but the plot remains the same: A desperate bid to cling on to power,” Legarda said. “But the people will not accept any excuse not to hold elections next year.”

Escudero, chair of the Senate oversight committee on poll automation, said if the bidding process was above board, “he (Melo) should be able to sleep well.”

Specter of revolution

“The failure of elections will be our people’s worst nightmare if the Comelec does not get its act together in implementing the automation of the 2010 polls,” Escudero warned. “Now even Chairman Melo … warns us about the specter of revolution.”

Escudero added: “What he (Melo) should be afraid of even more is the failure of elections if automation is carelessly done. That is a nightmare we may never wake up from.”

He said Melo should have a plan B, “otherwise he and his colleagues will have to answer to the people.”

Worst-case scenario

Roxas warned of civil unrest if the elections were canceled.

The Liberal Party chief said Filipinos, exasperated at the administration’s failure to solve problems like poverty and corruption, were waiting for the 2010 elections to choose new leaders.

Secretary Gonzalez said talk of a no-election would only “fan the sinister imagination of critics.”

He said there would “always” be elections because “we can always revert to the old [manual] system.”

“In fact the worst case that can happen to us is an election with machines and the people will not be able to vote the way it should be … It can result in a failure of elections,” he said.

Transition government

Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Satur Ocampo said a no-el scenario could be part of Ms Arroyo’s options to stay in power.

Ocampo said in a text message that such a scenario resulting from the failure of automation bidding, coupled with violent incidents, could create a pretext “to justify draconian steps by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.”

“They are inviting political upheaval if elections do not push through,” said Muntinlupa Rep. Rozzano Rufino Biazon.

United Opposition (UNO) president Jejomar Binay called on Ms Arroyo to step down and urged the formation of a transition government, headed by Chief Justice Reynato Puno, which will run the 2010 polls.

“As long as Ms Arroyo stays in power, we will never be sure that elections will push through in 2010 or that the elections will be clean and honest,” Binay said.

“Ms Arroyo is going to hijack the only chance we have to set things right and end her regime of corruption and misgovernance,” the Makati mayor claimed.

Speaker Prospero Nograles said Melo’s fear of a no-el situation was “absurd, ridiculous and out of this world.”

Trust in Melo

Nograles was confident that the Comelec would find a way to avoid such a situation.

“I trust the Chair completely in this regard,” Nograles said. “If all their preparations will result in a failure to elect national and local officials, it will not only be a nightmare, it will be total chaos to the max.”

Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez said Melo was “irresponsible” for making his remarks.

“The elections will push through. At worst, the Comelec will implement a hybrid system that will combine manual counting at the precinct and municipal level to computerized canvassing of results in the provincial and national levels,” Suarez said.

CBCP reaction

Churchmen also reacted to Melo’s remarks.

Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, said in an interview on Radio Veritas that the Comelec should ensure the holding of elections.

“The Church and the people would not allow no-el in 2010. This is a violation of the Constitution and of the right of the people to choose their leaders,” Lagdameo said.

In Cagayan de Oro, televangelist Bro. Eddie Villanueva said Melo’s grim scenario was possible.

“[He] is just testing the water when he publicly declared that scenario. He wants to see the reaction of the people,” said Villanueva. “The key here is for people to be vigilant.” With reports from Norman Bordadora and Allison W. Lopez in Manila, and Ma. Cecilia Rodriguez, Inquirer Mindanao