Senate blamed for stalled poll automation bill - Malaya 06.10.2006
SEN. Richard Gordon yesterday blamed "consensus politics" for the Senate’s failure to pass his pet bill prescribing automated elections starting next year.
Gordon, chair of the Senate committee on constitutional amendments, flared up Thursday after Senators Francis Pangilinan, who is also majority leader, and Mar Roxas failed to deliver on their promise to have his bill prioritized for approval.
The bill seeks to amend the previous poll automation law approved by Congress but not implemented after the Commission on Elections’ purchase of defective and overpriced counting machines. The Senate adjourned Thursday without acting on the measure.
A frustrated Gordon reportedly challenged Senators Sergio Osmeña III and Aquilino Pimentel Jr., who are opposed to the bill, to a fistfight. He also called the chamber a "do-nothing Senate"
for its refusal to pass his bill. He said he was confident of securing the numbers had voting taken place.
The measure was supposed to be pilot-tested in one province before its partial implementation in the 2007 and 2010 polls.
The Ombudsman, meanwhile, asked the Supreme Court to reconsider its order to the anti-graft body to issue a resolution on its investigation into the P1.3 billion poll automation irregularities no later than June 30, 2006 under pain of contempt.
The Ombudsman said the SC’s order, plus its March 28 directive requiring periodic progress reports on the investigation, "impinge on the constitutional independence" of the Ombudsman.
It pointed out that the inquiry is still pending resolution hence the High Court’s orders ‘constitute premature interference’.
The poll automation probe was set in motion by the Supreme Court ruling on January 13, 2004 which nullified the contract between the Comelec and Mega Pacific eSolutions for being ‘tainted with graft and legal infirmities’ despite the fact that the government had already paid up P850 million to the contractor.
The SC referred the case to the Ombudsman to determine criminal liability on the part of Comelec officials and the private contractors.
The Office of the Ombudsman did not explain why no one has been charged even after two years and five months since the SC ordered the investigation. – Dennis Gadil and Peter Tabingo
Gordon, chair of the Senate committee on constitutional amendments, flared up Thursday after Senators Francis Pangilinan, who is also majority leader, and Mar Roxas failed to deliver on their promise to have his bill prioritized for approval.
The bill seeks to amend the previous poll automation law approved by Congress but not implemented after the Commission on Elections’ purchase of defective and overpriced counting machines. The Senate adjourned Thursday without acting on the measure.
A frustrated Gordon reportedly challenged Senators Sergio Osmeña III and Aquilino Pimentel Jr., who are opposed to the bill, to a fistfight. He also called the chamber a "do-nothing Senate"
for its refusal to pass his bill. He said he was confident of securing the numbers had voting taken place.
The measure was supposed to be pilot-tested in one province before its partial implementation in the 2007 and 2010 polls.
The Ombudsman, meanwhile, asked the Supreme Court to reconsider its order to the anti-graft body to issue a resolution on its investigation into the P1.3 billion poll automation irregularities no later than June 30, 2006 under pain of contempt.
The Ombudsman said the SC’s order, plus its March 28 directive requiring periodic progress reports on the investigation, "impinge on the constitutional independence" of the Ombudsman.
It pointed out that the inquiry is still pending resolution hence the High Court’s orders ‘constitute premature interference’.
The poll automation probe was set in motion by the Supreme Court ruling on January 13, 2004 which nullified the contract between the Comelec and Mega Pacific eSolutions for being ‘tainted with graft and legal infirmities’ despite the fact that the government had already paid up P850 million to the contractor.
The SC referred the case to the Ombudsman to determine criminal liability on the part of Comelec officials and the private contractors.
The Office of the Ombudsman did not explain why no one has been charged even after two years and five months since the SC ordered the investigation. – Dennis Gadil and Peter Tabingo
posted by brodkaster43 at Sabado, Hunyo 10, 2006
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