Malacanang confident COMELEC will be able to carry out mandate for safe, peaceful elections

Malacanang expressed confidence on Sunday that the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) would be able to carry out its mandate to hold safe and peaceful elections in the 2013 national and local midterm elections that will be held in May.

In an interview aired over government-run radio station dzRB Radyo ng Bayan, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said the COMELEC is the sole constitutional body best equipped to carry out this mandate.

"At this point we expect the COMELEC to be able to carry out their mandate for a safe and peaceful election in May and we leave it up to them how best to carry out that mandate," Valte said.

"…'yun ang expectation namin and the public sa kanila: gagawin po nila ang lahat ng posible para siguruhing mapayapa at malinis ang eleksyon sa Mayo," she added.

The COMELEC, through its Chairman Sixto Brillantes, had assured the conduct of automated elections this May after the report of the Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC), tasked by Republic Act 9369 to review and certify if the automated election system, validated the mock polls conducted in 20 voting centers in 10 areas across the country.

The TEC is composed of the COMELEC, Department of Science and Technology and the Commission on Information and Communications Technology. (PNA)