Poll automatic, minority issues affect trust in COMELEC
Do the right thing, LP suggests to poll body
Its failure to address concerns over a projected failure of election on May 10 because of loopholes in the automated election system (AES) and the bias it has shown for the Arroyo Administration and its allies have affected public trust in the Commission on Elections as shown by the most recent survey of Pulse Asia.
The Comelec’s trust rating dipped by 5% in the latest Pulse Asia survey last March to 45% when the Liberal Party first disclosed its doubts on the reliability of the AES and the Comelec’s repeated assurance that it would work despite IT and election experts’ dire warnings about its implementation.
LP Director General Chito Gascon said that the public was apparently affected also by the bias shown by the poll body’s decisions against the LP and its members, including the removal from office of Bulacan Gov. Jonjon Mendoza that the Supreme Court later declared as illegal, and the case for removal of LP governors Eduardo “Among Ed” Panlilio of Pampanga and Graced Padaca of Isabela, the reassignment of PNP provincial directors in 21 provinces and cities that affected mostly prominent LP members like Cavite Gov. Ireneo Malicsi, Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo in Bicol and Alaminos City Mayor Hernando Braganza, and its refusal to remove the name from the printed ballots of disgraced Kilusang Bagong Lipunan presidential candidate Vitallano Acosta despite his being disqualified by them poll body.
“That’s why the LP’s advice to the Comelec is to do the right thing instead of scaring voters away from trusting them by continuing to refuse to allow scrutiny of the automated elections and its bias for the Arroyo Administration and its political allies,” Gascon said.
Gascon said it is precisely the Comelec’s apathy to the party’s call for action on alarming developments in its preparations for the May 10 polls that is luring more advocates of change to throw their support behind the tandem of LP standard-bearers Senators Benigno S. Aquino III and Mar Roxas II.
“Sa ilalim ng isang Aquino-Roxas administration, magiging kampante ang ating mga kababayan na ang mga susunod na halalan sa ating bansa ay magiging maayos at matagumpay(People can rest assured that under an Aquino-Roxas administration they need not worry that elections won’t be peaceful and orderly),” he said.
Gascon said voters can trust Aquino and Roxas commitment to implement massive reforms and stop bureaucratic thievery, which has corrupted the system of governance, especially the electoral process.
In contrast to the Comelec’s low trust ratings, Aquino and Roxas, the two most trusted public officials and candidates in the country, garnered 69% and 74% trust ratings, respectively. Their high ratings could be credited to their credible commitment to end a regime characterized by corruption, fraud and abuses, Gascon said.
