Perlas asks election postponement (3:21 p.m.)

INDEPENDENT presidential candidate Nicanor Perlas and the Partido ng Marangal na Sambayanan (Pangmasa) called for a postponement of the national elections by three months for the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to fully prepare for the automated elections.

Perlas' annoucement came after the Comelec admitted that the winners will not be known within 48 hours due to the "sheer number of candidates".

With this, he warned for a possibility of strong an "electronic Garci". Perlas refer to former Comelec commissioner Virgilio Garcillano who had a controversial conversation with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo about alleged election rigging.

"The way things are being handled by the Comelec, the automated system will be the black hole of the election. Pushing through with the May 10 elections will just further plunge the country into chaos that is potentially violent,” Perlas said.

Asked for comment, Comelec commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal maintained that there will be no election failure on May 10.

"Elections will definitely conducted on May 10. This is the mandate given to Comelec to implement," he said in a text message to Sun.Star. (Jill Beltran/Sunnex)