Worst poll scenario ‘won't trigger junta’

NOT even the worst-case scenario for the May 10 elections -- a return to manual counting -- will pave the way for a possible military junta, Malacañang reassured the public Saturday.

Presidential spokesman Ricardo Saludo’s reassurance came a day after his deputy presidential spokesperson Charito Planas raised the possibility of the military taking over the government should the elections fail.

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“The worst that can happen is that we will revert to manual counting. That is the worst thing. There is no reason to worry about it,” Saludo said on government-run dzRB radio.

Saludo said there has never been a failure of elections since democracy was restored in 1986.

He also tried to put a positive spin on Planas’ claim Friday by saying Planas raised the possibility of a junta just to emphasize there will be no failure of elections.

“She was just trying to send home the message that there will be no failure of elections,” he said.

On Friday, Planas said it was possible the military could take over the country if there was a total failure of elections in May and it led to a power vacuum.

When pressed if she meant a junta could take power in the Philippines in such a situation, she said: “It could be. Even (Senate President Juan Ponce) Enrile mentioned that. It could be.”

'Critics grandstanding’

Saludo dismissed claims that the Palace has a grand plan for President Arroyo to stay in power, saying this is just the claim of critics seeking media mileage.

“We should look at who is making such claims. These are critics of the administration who claim there will be martial law and that the president will not step down. They have been repeating this for some time now,” he said.

He said these critics include candidates running in the elections who want to land in the headlines so their campaigns can get extra media mileage.

But he said President Arroyo already made it clear she will step down on June 30.

“We know the president already said she will step down at noon of June 30, as decreed by the Constitution. After that, we will have a new president in place,” he said. (JMR/Sunnex)