Press Release
June 5, 2009

Planning and preparation key to a smooth run
Angara to fund automated elections in 2010

The Philippines' election process has remained the same over the years. The manual voting, casting and counting has always been palatable for those with vested interest to control and manipulate the elections. With the advent of messy and fraud full elections it makes modernization even more imperative.

RA 8436 as amended by RA 9369 authorizes COMELEC to use an automated election system in the conduct of national and local election.

Angara who filed a bill which seeks to authorize an eleven billion pesos (P11-B) supplemental appropriation for the use of an Automated Election System emphasized the need to finally automate our elections.

"The heart of a true democracy lies in achieving clean and honest elections which provide mandate and authority to elected public officials. Our laws mandate the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to use an automated election system in the conduct of national and local elections to encourage transparency, credibility, fairness and accuracy of elections," said Angara who chairs the Senate Committee on Finance.

Of the total amount of P11,301,790,000 (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.

"The supplemental budget is not a mere sum of money to be expended in the elections. It is a silver lining 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

The Senator is optimistic that the Philippines will conduct full automation of the local and national elections, believing that it is imperative in order to respond to the crying need of the people: credibility of elections and legitimacy of leadership.

"We will continue to push and prove that there will be a clean, honest, transparent and credible election in 2010," said Angara.

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