Sen. Manuel Villar Tuesday urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to work hard at ensuring the May 2010 automated elections would proceed without a glitch to avoid plunging the country into a political crisis.

Villar, Nacionalista Party standard-bearer, said despite the poll body’s repeated reassurances that it is a hundred percent prepared to conduct the Philippines’ first computerized election, questions persist on the reliability and integrity of the automated balloting.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) had also aired its concern over the Comelec’s preparation for the automation. As fallback to such scenario, the country’s bishops called for more vigilance and involvement by Filipinos in the electoral process.

“The fate of the country’s future lies in the May 10, 2010 elections, and Comelec must ensure that the casting of votes proceeds without a hitch. Talk of a failure of elections is in the air and such a scenario is simply unacceptable,” Villar said.

“I remain cautiously optimistic that the automation of the May 10 elections will proceed according to the plan. But the Comelec must also do its part to calm the growing fears of a failure of elections, for whatever reason,” he said.

The Comelec said it would delay for one more week the printing of ballots to be used in the May 10 automated polls to accommodate any final disqualifications or reconsideration of candidates running for public office.