Drilon vows to oppose moves to postpone 2016 polls

Senate President Franklin Drilon. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / JOAN BONDOC

Senate President Franklin Drilon on Thursday vowed to block any attempt to postpone the 2016 May elections, saying the Commission on Elections (Comelec) would be violating the Constitution if it fails to execute its mandate.

“I strongly oppose the move to postpone the elections. I am strongly against the Commission on Elections’ move to hold off the election based on the Supreme Court decision on the printing of receipts,” Drilon, who is seeking reelection in May, said in a statement.

READ: Election postponement eyed

“The Comelec cannot postpone on this ground based on existing law. There should not even be talks about postponement. I will block any attempt to postpone the election,” he said.

Drilon said there is no legal basis for the Comelec to do so, noting that the poll body is mandated by no less than the Constitution to conduct, without fail, clean, orderly and credible elections in the country.

He explained that under the Omnibus Election Code, postponement may only be effected for “serious causes such as violence, terrorism, loss or destruction of election paraphernalia or records, force majeure, and other analogous causes of such nature that the holding of a free, orderly and honest election should become impossible in any political subdivision.”

The Senate leader advised the poll body that instead of making speculative public pronouncements on the postponement of elections, it should find ways on how to comply with the Supreme Court ruling.

READ: SC orders Comelec to issue vote receipts

“It is premature for the Comelec to make public pronouncements on the postponement of elections because there still is time,” he said.

“I urge the Comelec to instead focus all their resources to follow the Supreme Court decision. We are in favor of observing the May 9 elections, as mandated by the Constitution,” Drilon added. IDL