Palace confident Comelec will make everything to ensure the conduct of the May ’16 polls

The Malacañang Palace (Facebook photo)

MANILA—Malacanang is optimistic that the Commission on Elections (Comlec) will do its best for the May 9, 2016 national and local polls to materialize.

This, even as the poll body has considered as among its options the postponement of election after the Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday directed it to issue receipts that would serve as voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT).

“We trust that the Comelec will exert all efforts to ensure the orderly conduct of the national elections while complying with the Constitution and with the Supreme Court decision,” said Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. on Thursday.

Earlier, Comelec Chairman Juan Andres Bautista admitted that postponing the May 9 elections would require a law.

He said the Comelec has scheduled a special en banc meeting to discuss this issue.

The SC decision was made after several petitions, including that of former Senator Richard Gordon, was filed last February asking the High Court to direct Comelec to fully implement Republic Act (RA) 9369, otherwise known as the Automated Elections System Law.

Part of the said law requires Comelec to activate the VVPAT feature of the automated polls law.