THE prospect of reverting to manual elections will be a huge disappointment for President Arroyo who has envisioned the country’s first automated elections before she steps down in office this year, Malacañang said yesterday.
However, Deputy Presidential Spokesman Gary Olivar said that the Palace would still rally behind the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to ensure peaceful, fair and credible elections regardless if the votes are counted manually or electronically.
Olivar said they have not lost hope over the automated elections and remained confident the poll body could iron out the technical glitches in the poll machines as seen in recent field test.
Olivar added that Malacañang will respect the wisdom of the Comelec if it pursues manual polls in case the automated process fails, adding the electorate should also support the poll body. (PIA)