IBA, Zambales – The camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay on Wednesday vowed to respect the Supreme Court decision requiring the issuance of voting receipts after the casting of ballots, saying that activating the voters’ verification system would ensure more transparent elections.
In an interview during Binay’s campaign sortie here, spokesperson Atty. Rico Quicho said the voters’ verification system in the vote-counting machine, earlier nixed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for fear that it would abet vote buying, would ensure the integrity of the elections.
“Tayo naman po sa United Nationalist Alliance, tumatalima po tayo roon sa desisyon ng Korte Suprema. Umaasa po tayo na ito po ay makakatulong na lalo pong magkaroon ng integridad ‘yong susunod na halalan at ito po ay challenge sa Commission on Elections para mapanatili po na talagang magiging honest, orderly and peaceful ‘yong elections natin sa 2016,” Quicho said.
He said the camp does not want to speculate that the printing of voters’ receipts would encourage vote buying.
The Comelec believes that with the voting receipt feature activated, voters could present the receipts as proof to vote buyers that they voted for the candidate they were bribed for.
“Hindi po makakatulong kung mag-i-speculate tayo. Katulad po ng sinasabi ko, bigyan po natin ng pagkakataon. Bigyan natin ng laya ang Commission on Elections na tumupad at pag-aralan itong recent decision ng Korte Suprema. Kami naman po sa partido sa United Nationalist Alliance, handa naman po tayo sa pupwedeng mangyari,” Quicho said.
In an ambush interview after his visit at the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy in Zambales on Tuesday, Binay lauded the Supreme Court decision ordering the printing of voters’ receipts.
“Okay na rin. Substantial compliance,” Binay said.
In its decision, the high court ordered the poll body to print voters’ receipts provided that these would be deposited in a box inside the polling precincts and not be taken outside.
The poll body claimed that the high court decision could affect its preparations for the May elections, because Comelec would be compelled to reconfigure the SD cards and re-train the board of election inspectors.
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