Representatives of different political parties want automated elections to push through on May 9

A man casts his vote with the VCM in mock elections conducted by Comelec.
(Photo from Comelec’s official Twitter account)

MANILA – Representatives of different political parties want an automated national and local elections to push through on May 9.

This was their consensus during the meeting with Commission on Elections (Comelec) officials on Tuesday.

According to Ivan John Uy, representative of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), they want the elections to be held on the second Monday of May and should be automated.

“…Political parties are one in agreeing that May 9 should be an immovable day, we should have an election, automated election, credible election on May 9,” he said after the meeting with poll body officials headed by Chairman Juan Andres Bautista.

The parties do not agree on the “Po-El” (Postponement of Elections) scenario.

“Po-El, it’s out of the question so all of us have agreed to work together to make sure that we do held elections on May 9, and it’s going to be automated,” he said.

On the other hand, Atty. Gregorio Larrazabal, legal counsel for the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), said that the attendees agreed on one option, which is to have an automated elections on May 9.

“But we said there has to be a consensus that we have to have a credible automated elections on May 9, 2016. And everybody in the room agreed that we have to reach that goal. There is no option, we have to have automated elections on May 9, 2016… The preparation to achieve that goal just have to be met,” said the former Comelec Commissioner in a separate interview.

For his part, Atty. Sixto Brillantes is convinced that the poll body is bent on holding the May 9 polls as scheduled.

“Palagay ko hindi ipo-postpone ng Comelec, pipilitin nila, kasi ang sama ng epekto kung ipo-postpone e, maski na bumalik sa mano-mano, masama din,” the former poll body head added.

Meanwhile, Commissioner Christian Robert Lim said that they expect to deliberate on the matter on Tuesday during the en banc meeting.