Press Release
February 17, 2009

ADDITIONAL OUTLAY FOR POLL AUTOMATION
TO BE APPROVED THIS MONTH - ANGARA

Public vigilance key to orderly elections

Sen. Edgardo J. Angara today assured the public that the Senate will approve this February the supplemental appropriation for the use of an Automated Election System in the conduct of 2010 national and local elections.

"The supplemental budget is not a mere sum of money to be expended in the elections. It is a silverlining in these confusing times and represents the aspirations of the Filipinos for clean and honest elections. The Filipino people values justice and fairness, it is now time for them to be afforded such through an orderly election," said Angara who chairs the Senate Committee on Finance.

He added, "The public's vigilance should not stop in passing this appropriations, neither the Commission on Election's work is done once this budget is passed. Public vigilance is the key if we are to aspire for orderly elections. The COMELEC and the public must work hand-in-hand for the triumph of democracy."

Angara, through the Finance Committee has already conducted a public hearing to flesh out the P11-B proposed outlay as laid down by SB 2984 which seeks to authorize a supplemental appropriation in order to conduct an automated election.

In the hearing, he emphasized the need for education and training of our teachers and even the general public in using the technology to ensure maximum efficiency and utilization of the system.

He also agreed that the cleansing of the voter's list should be prioritized. The Finance committee chair cited that purging the voter's list would save us from a "garbage in, garbage out scenario" in the 2010 national and local elections.

Of the total amount of P11,301,790,000 [1] (Eleven billion three hundred one million seven hundred ninety thousand pesos) P9,959,710,000 will go to the acquisition of machines for the 2010 automated national and local elections. Moreover, P1,342,080,000 will be allocated for the preparatory activities in relation to the conduct of 2010 automated elections.

This supplemental appropriation is on top of the P5.3 - billion allocation of COMELEC as part of the proposed P1.415 - trillion FY 2009 General Appropriations Act.

"The Finance Committee will meet again and elucidate some details of the budget and then the Senate can pass the measure before March 6 prior to the adjournment of the Senate session," said Angara.

RA 8436 as amended by RA 9369 authorizes COMELEC to use an automated election system in the conduct of national and local election. RA 8436 and RA 9369 was passed as early as December 22, 1997 and January 23, 2007 respectively.

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