MANILA -- The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is ready to implement manual polls next year if Smartmatic and Total Information Management (TIM) fail to settle their differences on Friday.

Although Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said they are still looking for ways to automate the 2010 polls, but have a backup plan, which is to hold manual elections.

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"The contingency planning started even before this happened. We are fairly confident that in the event that they string us along for another month or two, we would still be able to get back on track with the preparations... We can actually have parallel plans and we do have parallel plans," he said.

Reshuffle

The official added that once they go manual, they need to reshuffle their personnel, specifically their field officers.

"We will reorganize them, we want to make sure that the people in a particular region are confident about the person running their elections," Jimenez explained.

Elections Chairman Jose Melo feared that if they go manual, this might again give rise to "election operators" like former commissioner Virgilio Garcillano and Maguindanao election supervisor Lintang Bedol may resurrect.

He said the preparation for manual polls usually takes three months with eight months as the longest.

Included in the preparation for manual polls would be printouts of manual system ballots, purchase of other election paraphernalia, and acquisition of the lacking number of ballot boxes.

The automation project was put in peril after Smartmatic's partner, TIM, pulled out of the partnership due to "money" concers.

Both companies were given until Friday to discuss their differences and inform the poll body if they would push through with the project or not.

'Black Friday'

Jimenez hoped it will not be a "Black Friday" for them and to those who are pushing for automated polls.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) said failure to do automation in next year's elections would mean additional burden and danger to their colleagues tasked to man poll booths throughout the country.

ACT president Antonio Tinio said many teachers affiliated with ACT "prefer not to serve (in the polls) because of the threats of violence, harassment, and other risks related to poll duty."

Another teacher group, Teachers Dignity Alliance, echoed the same position, saying full automation would lighten the work of teachers and at the same time help eliminate "dagdag bawas" (vote padding and shaving), which is a common practice during elections in the country.

"This whole ordeal pushes us to redouble our efforts to urge the government to work for full automation," said TDC chairman Benjo Basas.

Meanwhile, Malacañang threw Wednesday its full support to the clamor of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to "save the automation of the 2010 elections" because poll automation is a priority project of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Well-managed bidding

"We would not want it to fall into jeopardy despite the very well-managed bidding," explained Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita during his regular Wednesday briefing at the New Executive Building.

Ermita said poll automation is a matter for the Comelec to look into.

Msgr. Pedro Quitorio of the CBCP reportedly called on the government to save the poll automation, to which Ermita agreed with readily.

"Definitely, Malacañang is one with the call of Archbishop Quitorio that we can really go on with automated elections," Ermita said.

"As far as I know, I happened to speak over the phone with Comelec Chairman Melo yesterday and he told me he has given a concession on the part of Smartmatic and TIM up to Friday to resolve their problems themselves. As a private person and as an official of Malacañang, we wish that the Comelec will try to ensure the automated election," Ermita said.

On the suggestion by some quarters for partial automation, Ermita said the "Palace will not interfere with election matters, which is rightfully under the Comelec."

Ermita said several quarters not necessarily aligned with the administration are already making out their own scenarios that are not true.

He said there are many options "but what is important is that there will be honest, orderly, and peaceful election and we must have election reforms to put to rest any suspicion that the anomalies and irregularities committed before could take place to benefit anybody."

Ermita said the President is confident that Chairman Melo can handle the poll automation issue.

"Being a lawyer and a former member of the Supreme Court, he would know how to handle the issues on the poll automation and if there is need to file cases against the members of the consortium."

He said Melo has given the consortium until Friday to settle their differences. "He did not tell me anything about legal steps, but I assume it behooves upon him to do what he thinks he must do because as a lawyer, he should know what to do next. It goes without saying that the Comelec has alternative plans to automate the election, and Chairman Melo spoke to me of alternative plans even before Smartmatic was considered."

Ermita made an appeal to the consortium to do its best to reach an agreement before Friday so the election automation will push through and to their satisfaction.

"We (government) should not be held captive by the troubles and differences among the consortium members," he said. (FP/AH/PNA/Sunnex)