By E. T. SUAREZ

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is ready for the Oct. 29 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections and will respect congressional decision to postpone the twin political exercise, if the legislative measure for the purpose is enacted into law.

The Comelec, led by Chairman Benjamin S. Abalos Sr., said that while there is still no law postponing the synchronized polls, the preparations will continue to make sure the elections will be peaceful, orderly, and credible, in case the postponement bill is not appoved into law.

"We do not like to be caught unprepared as the village poll is as important, if not more important to the nation just than the national and local elections," poll officials said.

The Comelec assured its readiness for the synchronized elections amid the approval by the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms of a consolidated bill postponing the barangay and SK elections.

A bill filed by Rep. Annie Rosa L. Susano of the second district of Quezon City, the country’s biggest legislative district with more than 1.2 million constituents and 520,299 registered voters, seeks the postponement of the village polls to the second Monday of May, 2009 so that the Comelec could automate the elections.

Susano, chairman of the House Special Committee on Metro Manila Development, said the amount of R2.4 billion is included in the proposed 2008 national budget for the computerization of the barangay and SK elections.

"The postponement will pave the way for full computerization of future elections that will prevent cheating and other electoral frauds and at the same time helps heal the wounds caused by the just concluded mid-term polls," said Susano, a holder of a diploma from the John F. Kennedy School of Government of Harvard University.

In the Senate, Senate President Manuel B. Villar Jr. said he will seek the consensus of his colleagues on the proposal to defer the village polls for the third time.

Villar said he will first study the recommendation of the House of Representatives to call off the elections, but assured that he prefers the barangay polls to proceed so the people could render their judgment on incumbent village officials. 

Source: mb.com.ph  

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