It was, no doubt, timely, and a moderating influence that Malacañang expressed confidence the full automation of the 2010 national and local elections would push through as scheduled.

Such assurance from the office of the President was necessary to ease the frustration that was starting to spread around amid questions on the possibility of automation because of certain technicalities worsened by time constraints.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita’s optimism on the capability of the Commission on Elections has certainly reversed the surge of anxiety that was beginning to nag the citizenry.

“The Comelec said we will have automated elections,” he said. “Let’s hope that will happen,” he added, explaining that “that was our objective.”

Talks about abandoning computerization immediately circulated following the disqualification of all the bidders for the P11.3-billion election automation program.

This, despite Comelec assurances that it would do everything within the law to proceed with the preparations for the computerization of the next year’s elections.

Part of the preparations are the series of registrations of new voters being conducted in various parts of the country.

Still, questions persist on whether to declare failure of bidding and set another or to fall back on negotiated contract.

But a negotiated contract is being objected to by some senators, saying it is “not necessarily considered the cheapest, the best, and most responsible offer.” There is obviously less transparency in the process, according to Senator Francis Escudero, chairman of the Senate oversight committee on poll automation.

The debate on the issues still goes on.

Whatever, as far as the Comelec is concerned, the poll automation program remains even as the Special Bids and Awards Committee deals on the motions for reconsiderations filed by the consortiums that have been disqualified by the committee.

It is for this firm determination shown by the Comelec led by Chairman Jose A. R. Melo that Malacañang appears confident that eventually automation of the 2010 polls will meet the deadline.

It was because of certain insufficiencies in the bidders’ documentation that caused the delay in the bidding process. The Comelec, according to Melo, has not declared a failure of bidding, assuring that full automation will take place in next year’s polls.

Secretary Ermita has made it known that the computerization of both the national and local elections is one of the most enduring legacy that President Arroyo would want to achieve before she leaves office in 2010.

If there is really nothing wrong with negotiated contracts, as Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya says – contrary to Senator Escudero’s claim – then there is really no hindrance, even if the bidding fails, to accomplish what the Arroyo administration would want to achieve as its important legacy when Mrs. Arroyo bows out of the presidency.

Even so, the Executive Secretary prefers that the Palace leave to the wisdom of the poll body the implementation of the law on automated elections without interference from the Executive Office.

(zhern_218@yahoo.com)