Zubiri's Statement on Poll automation measure pending before the Senate

Senator Angara will present the committee report this afternoon and hopefully we will be able to approve in second and this reading this afternoon the P11.3 billion automation budget of the Commission on Election for the 2010 polls as a certified measure. And therefore foregoes the three day constitutional requirement.

This supplemental budget is a priority number in the Senate agenda before the break and hopefully the House of Representatives will agree to our version, so there will be no need of a bicameral conference and we can ratify the measure by Wednesday.

The Senate's position is full automation and no hybrid system. The approval of this measure will be the legislative department's gift to the Filipino people in terms of the conduct of honest, orderly, peaceful and credible elections in 2010.