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Monday, June 12, 2006
Senate opposition backs changes in poll modernization law: lawmaker
SENATE Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said Sunday the minority bloc is supporting the enactment of a new election law "but believes it was wrong to rush the approval of the measure at the expense of a thorough discussion of its ramifications."
Pimentel reiterated that they are not blocking the passage of the bill contrary to what Senator Richard Gordon believes.
Gordon, chairman of the Senate committee on constitutional amendments and sponsor of the election modernization bill, blew his top when minority senators on Thursday failed to vote on the bill before adjourning sine die.
Pimentel said his minority senators would still like to scrutinize the bill and "discuss the measure dispassionately."
"The members of the opposition, particularly Senators Panfilo Lacson, Ana Consuelo "Jamby" Madrigal, Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada, and Alfredo Lim wanted to have a chance to discuss the various ramifications of the complicated bill of Senator Gordon," he said.
He also allayed fear that the delayed approval of the election modernization bill would imperil the election modernization program. "Realistically speaking, if we could pass the bill by August, then we would still have eight months to prepare for the May 2007 elections," he said.
"The modernization of election, to be successful, should adopt a technology that is appropriate to Philippine setting," he added.
The senator also said it was important to determine whether the automated vote-counting machines should be leased or purchased.
"I do not know which is the best thing to do here. Some people believe that perhaps leasing the equipment would be better because after their use, we can return them to the lessor or supplier," he said.
Pimentel suggested that the government can buy the hardware, computers and then donate them to public schools after the elections. "Moreover, the government should not close its door to the use of election computer machines that are locally invented and can be locally manufactured," he added. (PE/Sunnex)
(June 12, 2006 issue)
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