LP leaders urge COMELEC to ensure successful automated polls

Aquino, Roxas warn against ‘Lutong Gloria’ tactics to stay in power

Liberal Party standard bearers Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and Mar Roxas today appealed to the Commission on Elections to act quickly and address critical political developments that could adversely affect the conduct of a peaceful and successful computerized May 10 national elections.

The Liberal Party leadership, led by Aquino and Roxas, said the Comelec’s sluggish action and seeming indifference to alarming developments in the political front could be part of a grand plot to extend President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s hold to power.

Aquino said this has spawned public apprehensions of massive and wholesale poll cheating and a possible failure of elections leading to either a holdover presidency by the House Speaker or a military junta take-over.

“Ang nais ng lahat ay isang patas na laban, ngunit ito rin ba ang ninanais ng Comelec sa gaganaping halalan Maasahan ba natin na magiging maayos ang darating na halalan, gayong marami pa ring problema sa kauna-unahang automated elections sa bana na hindi pa natutugunan?” he asked.

Roxas suspected delays in the Comelec preparations could be deliberate and aimed at making sure that the country’s first automated elections do not succeed.

“Nandito po kami para ihatid sa ating mga kababayan ang aming matinding pangamba na nabababoy ang proseso ng halalan sa ating bansa,” he said, citing serious lapses or inadequacies in the preparations for the automated polls, such as questionable source code review requirements, absence of means to verify ultra-violent marks in official ballots, uncertain conduct of a Random Manual Audit, absence of a clear back-up plan, and an unfair ballot design, among others.

“Kung noong nakaraan, noong panahon ng ina ng ating presidential candidate ay may tinatawag na ‘lutong Makoy’, ngayon naman ay meron tayong ‘lutong Gloria’ at nakikita natin ito dito sa mga hudyat na ito, kung saan talagang kapit-tuko at ayaw talaga bumaba sa pwesto. Gusto manatili ang kanyang pagkareyna-reyna dito sa ating bansa,” he added.

He stressed: “Ito ang mga dahilan kung bakit pinapangambahan ng Partido Liberal ang pagpapatupad ng malinis, matuwid, matapat na halalan sa darating na Mayo. Ang ating demokrasya, ang ating kalayaan, ang ating kasarinlan ang siyang nakasalalay dito.”

Senatorial candidate and former Senate President Franklin Driloin said: “We see the refusal of the Comelec to listen to reasonable proposals from the Liberal Party as part of the pattern to really undermine our democratic institutions so that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo can succeed in her plan to stay in power beyond June 30, 2010.”

“She has not given up, mind you. The fact that she’s running for election in Pampanga — unprecendented in our political history — is an indication of her intention to stay in power beyond June 30, 2010. As we said, this is part of the pattern, “ he stressed.

Aquino said the Comelec seems to have laid down the necessary factors to ensure that the Liberals’ fight for reforms and good governance does not succeed.

He noted the poll body’s denial of the accreditation of the Namfrel to conduct a public official count of the election results, the disqualification of qualified LP candidates and the prolonged process to extend the LP’s status as the dominant minority party.

He said various political developments could also be part of the administration’s plot to stay in power, among these, the appointment of Gen. Delfin Bangit as Armed Forces chief-of-staff, the continued reshuffle of police directors despite an election ban, and the recent decision of the Supreme Court allowing President Arroyo to name a new chief justice to replace retiring Chief Justice Reynaldo Puno – a prohibited act under the Constitution.

He likewise pointed to the statements of Deputy Spokesperson Charito Planas and National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales about a possible military junta and transitional revolutionary government in case of a failure of elections.

Drilon also noted the appointment of “purely partisan individuals” to the Office of the Ombudsman and to the Supreme Court, which he said the public now suspects to be a “ Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo court” because of its administration-leaning decisions, among them on the issue of early campaigning, the ‘deemed resigned‘ rule for executive officials running for public office, and the issue of midnight appointments.

“All of these, we see as patterns that could result in her stay in power beyond June 30, 2010. And these are the very threats to democracy that we should be vigilant against,” he added.

Aquino announced he has tasked LP General Campaign Manager Butch Abad and other senior campaign officials to start conferring with key sectors, such as the church, election watch dogs, the diplomatic community, the military and police and other presidential candidates to close ranks and help ensure a peaceful, orderly and clean elections.

“Panahon na upang bumangon at mangarap muli. Ito ang tinig ng sambayanan sadarating na eleksyon. Kami sa Partido Liberal ay nangangako ng tunay na pagbabago, kaya’t anumang balakid sa pagsasakatuparan nito ay aming pipigilin. Kasama ng aking mga ka-partido sa Partido Liberal, tinatawagan ko ang mga nangangasiwa sa Comelec at ang buong sambayanan na siguraduhing malinis at mapayapa ang darating na eleksyon,” he said.

Roxas appealed: “Sa Comelec at sa iba pa, ang kredibilidad ng ating halalan ang siyang pinakamahalagang maipamimigay natin sa susunod na mga henerasyon. Ito lamang ang pamamaraan na kung saan, ang ating mga mamamayan ay maaaring maipaabot ang kanilang tinig, ang kanilang pananaw sa regular na paraan. Ninanakaw ang pera natin, ninanakaw na ang kasalukuyan natin. Huwag nating payagan na nakawin pa ang kinabukasan natin.”