EDITORIAL - Daang madilim

For opponents of the daang matuwid administration, the pun was irresistible. After Metro Manila and many parts of Luzon suffered blackouts lasting several hours the other day, the opponents said they feared daang madilim – literally, dark roads – on election day.

Concerns over power outages on Monday are not confined to the political opposition. The nation will be holding its second fully automated elections, and those precinct count optical scan machines obviously need a steady supply of electricity to operate smoothly. Energy officials and the Manila Electric Co. gave assurances that election day would be free of blackouts. Outside the Meralco area, the power supply is less certain in Mindanao, which has been suffering from regular blackouts for many months now, with the problem expected to persist at least until 2015.

The Commission on Elections said it was placing 900 generators on standby in case of blackouts on Monday. The PCOS machines also have batteries that can last 12 hours in case of power outages, the Comelec assured the public. Beyond assurances, every effort must be made to ensure that there will be no power supply disruptions on election day. Transmission delays and other technical glitches as well as poorly lit areas for tallying votes can only heighten tension and encourage violence.

Blackouts on election day can also give rise to accusations of tampering with the vote. The biggest loser if this happens will be the administration, which has a stake in presenting the 2013 vote as a model for a different way of holding elections. This will be the first national elections under the watch of President Aquino. If the elections are to be orderly and peaceful, the first step is to ensure that there will be a steady power supply to run the PCOS machines.