Solve glitches a month before elections, Marcos tells Comelec

Sen. Bongbong Marcos Jr.         NESTOR CORRALES/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

SEN. FERDINAND Marcos Jr has called on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to resolve systemic glitches at least a month ahead of the automated national polls in May.

The vice presidential candidate, in a statement, expressed disappointment with the Comelec’s slow pace in resolving technical problems with the voting machines that surfaced during Saturday’s mock elections in several areas across the country.

“We are quite disappointed that the Comelec has not been able to streamline their operation, and every step of the way there seems to have been problems,” Marcos said.

“I hope that Comelec Chair (Andres) Bautista, especially, would be able to do something to correct these issues way before the elections. It cannot be in one or two days before the elections, it has to be at least a month before,” he said.

Marcos said Saturday’s dry run revealed technical problems that delayed voting in some precincts and resulted in the rejection of some cast ballots as well as vote transmission problems.

Mock polls

The mock polls, intended to refine the automated election process at the polling and canvassing centers, were held simultaneously in Aparri town and Tuguegarao City in Cagayan province, Alaminos town and Dagupan City in Pangasinan province, Quezon City, Manila, Taguig City, Pateros town, Kalibo and Malay towns in Aklan province, Sorsogon City, Matnog in Sorsogon province, Cebu City, Santander town in Cebu province, Dipolog City, Sindangan in Zamboanga del Norte province, Surallah town in South Cotabato province, Jolo town in Sulu province, General Santos City, and Lamitan City in Basilan.

Marcos said the Comelec must move vigorously to correct the glitches.

Dangerous

He rejected previous pronouncements of the poll body on the possible postponement of the elections in some areas.

“That is dangerous. Remember that you cannot delay the elections. It is a constitutional mandate, it must be held on the second Monday of May,” he said. “We are all very concerned. Actually everybody is very worried.”

Marcos pointed out that in the manual elections, the main problem was the delay in the canvassing of votes.

“Postponement of the elections in some areas will definitely result in delayed poll canvassing,” he said. “If there is any way we can assist them (Comelec officials), we would be happy to do it. But they have to fix it.” Jeannette I. Andrade