Comelec, Palace welcome SC ruling on automated elections

COMMISSION on Election Commissioner Rene Sarmiento said the high court ruling is most welcome as they can now start preparing for the 2013 election.

Sarmiento, who was here in Cebu, said the ruling has removed stumbling blocks for the Commission on Election (Comelec) to implement their preparation for automated election.

Before the ruling, he said, the Comelec was at a standstill as an adverse ruling could mean they have to prepare for manual election.

In Manila, Malacañang welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision upholding the Commission on Election’s P1.8-billion contract to buy the vote-counting machines used in the 2010 elections from Smartmatic-TIM.

“We welcome the timeliness of the Supreme Court decision, as it now ensures the legal certainty of the automation of the 2013 elections,” said Abigail Valte, one of President Aquino spokespersons.

The decision in effect lifted a temporary restraining order the Supreme Court issued in late April preventing the Comelec from pushing through with the Smartmatic-TIM deal.

Comelec provincial supervisor Lionel Castillano said that SC’s ruling serves as a go signal to start their preparations for the next automated elections in 2013.

Castillano also said that Comelec is also planning to use disabled features in PCOS machines to fully comply with the poll automation law.

“Nalipay mi sa Comelec kay maka-full blast nami sa amo preparations on the automated elections on 2013,” said Castillano.

A group that included Davao Archbishop Fernando Capalla, former vice president Teofisto Guingona, Jr., and civil society member Ma. Linda Montayre had questioned the Comelec’s authority to buy the precinct count optical scan machines because without any public bidding./Inquirer and Katreena Bisnar