Comelec urged to be discerning in ruling on disqualification cases

MANILA, Philippines - Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday to be “discerning” of the disqualification cases filed against candidates in the 2010 polls to save time.

“With due respect to the Comelec, it should be more discerning in dealing with disqualification cases so that it won’t waste time. Just like the Supreme Court, the Comelec should dismiss cases if they are insufficient in form and substance,” said Macalintal.

He claimed that two Comelec divisions are now hearing up to 30 cases everyday while it is obvious that most of the cases should not be given due course.

Macalintal said the delayed resolution of cases is indirectly helping those who filed the disqualification cases that intend only to harass rival candidates.

The Comelec has not yet released the final list of local and national candidates since the poll body has not yet resolved disqualification cases as well as motions for reconsideration filed by candidates that were already disqualified.

Cesar Flores, president for Asia-Pacific of Smartmatic International Corp. that will supply the automated counting machines to the Comelec, admitted last Friday that next week would be a “critical period” for the automation of the 2010 elections as the firm is still waiting for the final list of candidates and poll precincts from the Comelec.

Flores said the firm needs these data for the configuration of the software of the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines to be used during the election.

Smartmatic has been contracted by the Comelec to supply 82,200 PCOS machines with its Filipino partner Total Information Management Corp.