Garcia backs proposals for hybrid polls

Commission on Elections Chairman George Garcia on Thursday expressed support for proposals for the conduct of hybrid polls—part-manual, part automated elections—in the country.

"Maganda po yan...Maaaring maka-delay ng isang oras hangga't isang oras at kalahati, pero at least nakikita ng mga mamamayan hindi lamang 'yung result ng machine kundi nakikita nila 'yung mga balota nila halimbawa ay binabasa... nandun 'yung mga watchers nila na sadyang 'yung mga balotang 'yan yung mga binasa at 'yun yung mismong na-canvass sa araw ng eleksyon," Garcia said in a public briefing.

(That would be good. There could be an hour or an hour and a half's delay, but at least the public will be able to witness not just the results from the machines but their ballots being read. The watchers will be there who can only see the ballots being processed and those are the ones that are canvassed on election day.)

Garcia said that even during his time as election lawyer, he has been supportive of the idea of hybrid elections.

He also expressed hope that the bill will be completed and refined by Congress for its enactment.

"Sana po mas mapaigting pa natin, mapaganda, maplantsang mabuti yung magiging draft o yung magiging panukalang batas at kung sakaling magiging batas po 'yan," he said.

(I hope we can have the draft or the bill strengthened, improved, and ironed out.)

In a separate radio interview, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III also called on Comelec and Congress to push for a hybrid election system.

"Sana yung leader ng Comelec eh reformer. Dapat hindi rin siya happy sa sistemang nangyayari kasi kung happy siya eh di walang mangyayari. Kasi ang unang step to solving a problem is to realize that we have a problem," Pimentel said.

"Kailangan talaga ma-review 'yung system because actually pati 'yang automated count. Ang pagbilang kasi totally automated na kailangan palakpakan na lang natin kung ano ang ni-report ng computer na resulta," he pointed out.

"Isa yan sa dapat bukas din ang Comelec at Kongreso to review it. Hybrid siguro kasi kailangan makita na ng taumbayan sa presinto kung sino ang nanalo sa bilang," he added.

In the 18th Congress, the proposed Hybrid Election Act was sponsored on the Senate floor. However, it remained pending on second reading until adjournment. — BM, GMA News