Malacañang is counting on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to pursue its poll automation program amid the poll body’s current heavy workload to ensure orderly, peaceful and honest elections next year.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Anthony Golez expressed confidence that the poll body will be able to carry out the automated May 2010 elections despite the serious problems it is facing in preparation for the first ever fully computerized voting in the Philippines.

“Wala naman institusyon na hindi nagkakaroon ng problema at naniniwala po kami sa kakayahan ng Comelec na maipatupad ang hangarin po ng ating pamahalaan, ng ating mga mamamayan na magkaroon ng poll automation,” he told a press briefing.

“Although may mga nagsasabi na may mga problema sila, all we can do is to hope and pray that they can overcome all the problems that they are facing right now and they must be in full gear to implement automation in 2010,” he said.

Golez described the early detection of problems as a welcome development in the government’s efforts to ensure that the poll automation will work.

Presidential economic spokesperson Gary Olivar said the Comelec has started launching an information drive on the features of the automated elections to help guide and inform the public.

He said a fll-fledged educational and information campaign on the automation procedures will be launched in December.

“They’re already taking moves to educate ‘yung mga kababayan natin tungkol sa mga magiging proseso ng automation,” Olivar said.