MARIVELES, Bataan- Senate Pres. Juan Ponce Enrile on Wednesday said here that the scheduled 2010 elections should push through even through the manual process if poll automation fails to be implemented.
“Mas mabuting manual na botohan kesa wala tayong halalan sapagka’t kung walang mga halal na opisyal walang lahat, walang gobyerno,” the senator from Cagayan said, adding “sanay na naman tayo sa manual basta bantayan lang mabuti.”
He said that months ago, he warned the Commission on Elections to prepare for manual election because automation being new may have some lapses, a still unsure process. With the problem on the consortium partners who won the bidding, he said “mas mabuti na nangyari habang may sapat na panahon pa sa Comelec na maghanda sa manual polling.”
The consortium partners refer to Smartmatic Corp. and Total Information Management, the latter, a Filipino firm, withdrawing from the P11.3-billion contract to automate the 2010 elections.
Requested to comment on “Operation August Moon”, the Senate head asked what it was about. When informed that it was allegedly about moves of a segment of the military supporting the amendment of the Constitution through the Constituent Assembly, he said “ang Con-ass wala na, hindi na dapat pang pag-akasayan ng utak sapagka’t matagal na naming sinasabi na hindi magkakaroon ng Con-ass kapag hindi kasama ang Senado.”
On alleged report that Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo would be running for congresswoman in Pampanga, the Senate president said “hindi OK sa akin iyon.”
Enrile was guest of honor and speaker during the 7th commencement exercises of the Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific in Alas-Asin, Mariveles. He was impressed by the pass-in-review and manual of arms of cadets that he said he was like watching cadets of the Philippine Military Academy in Baguio.
Sec. Marianito Roque of the Department of Labor said that Filipino seafarers are considered as among the best in the world.
A total of 103, two of them women, graduated with the degrees of Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation and Marine Engineering. They were automatically commissioned as reserved officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines with the rank of ensign in the Philippine Navy.
“Mas mabuting manual na botohan kesa wala tayong halalan sapagka’t kung walang mga halal na opisyal walang lahat, walang gobyerno,” the senator from Cagayan said, adding “sanay na naman tayo sa manual basta bantayan lang mabuti.”
He said that months ago, he warned the Commission on Elections to prepare for manual election because automation being new may have some lapses, a still unsure process. With the problem on the consortium partners who won the bidding, he said “mas mabuti na nangyari habang may sapat na panahon pa sa Comelec na maghanda sa manual polling.”
The consortium partners refer to Smartmatic Corp. and Total Information Management, the latter, a Filipino firm, withdrawing from the P11.3-billion contract to automate the 2010 elections.
Requested to comment on “Operation August Moon”, the Senate head asked what it was about. When informed that it was allegedly about moves of a segment of the military supporting the amendment of the Constitution through the Constituent Assembly, he said “ang Con-ass wala na, hindi na dapat pang pag-akasayan ng utak sapagka’t matagal na naming sinasabi na hindi magkakaroon ng Con-ass kapag hindi kasama ang Senado.”
On alleged report that Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo would be running for congresswoman in Pampanga, the Senate president said “hindi OK sa akin iyon.”
Enrile was guest of honor and speaker during the 7th commencement exercises of the Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific in Alas-Asin, Mariveles. He was impressed by the pass-in-review and manual of arms of cadets that he said he was like watching cadets of the Philippine Military Academy in Baguio.
Sec. Marianito Roque of the Department of Labor said that Filipino seafarers are considered as among the best in the world.
A total of 103, two of them women, graduated with the degrees of Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation and Marine Engineering. They were automatically commissioned as reserved officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines with the rank of ensign in the Philippine Navy.
