MANILA--President Gloria Arroyo’s aproval of the poll automation bill into law has given a Catholic Church-back poll watchdog a leeway to focus more on intensive voters’ education.
The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) said it is all systems go for the automation of the electoral system (AES) now that the P11.3 billion supplemental budget has been approved.
Their next step, PPCRV national chairperson Henrietta de Villa said, is to make sure that voters are well informed about the poll automation.
“PPCRV can now concentrate on preparing voters’ education on automated elections so that the voters can understand AES and be familiar in using it,” she said.
De Villa said they will also strengthen vigilance among the public against “possible sabotage by cheats who never say die to election manipulation, no matter what method is used.”
Mrs. Arroyo signed Monday Republic Act 9525 or the supplemental budget law a week before the April deadline set by the Commission on Elections to pass the measure.
The PPCRV remains optimistic that automating the May 2010 presidential race would curb or thwart any plans to manipulate the results of the elections.
De Villa said going back to manual elections would only benefit the devious individuals and groups who have become so adept at rigging election results. (Roy Lagarde)