The camp of Senator Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III said the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has no reason not to exclude the embattled Vetallano Acosta from the official roster of presidential candidates after the Liberal Party (LP) offered the services of the party’s information technology experts to help reformat the software that will run the precinct count optical scans (PCOS) machines that will be used in the May 10 elections.

Although disappointed with the Comelec’s belated decision to disqualify the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan standard bearer, Aquino’s spokesperson, Edwin Lacierda said the LP is willing to help the Comelec control the damage it has done to the candidacy of the LP standard bearer.

It was recalled that the LP has been questioning Acosta’s qualification to the presidential race when his supposed running mate, TV host Jay Sonza, and the son of the KBL stalwart and former dictator Ferdinand Marcos, Leyte Rep. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. have disowned him.

The LP claimed that Acosta’s inclusion in the list is part of a grand scheme to dislodge Senator Aquino as the first in the list of presidential candidates in the official ballot, and to allot the last column for his toughest contender to the race, Nacionalista Party’s Senator Manuel “Manny” Villar Jr. alone.

The Comelec did not heed the LP’s contention until it finally disqualified Acosta in a decision it released last Thursday. But despite the Comelec’s decision, Comelec Law Deparment chief Ferdinand Rafanan said it is too late to exclude Acosta from the list of presidential candidates after some nine million ballots have been printed.

Lacierda said that “if the Comelec is on top of the situation, it should face this issue squarely whatever it takes. It is their obligation to face the consequence of their late decision in fairness to Senator Aquino. Justice and fairness dictate that the Comelec should stop complaining and just do it,” Lacierda said.

Lacierda added that the LP is willing to send its IT personnel to help the Comelec reformat the software meant to run the PCOS machine. He also said the Comelec, only “if they have the political will,” can also reprint the ballots by using the resources provided for them under the law.

“It is only a question of reformatting. How difficult can that be if we are willing to offer the services of our IT personnel to help the Comelec? If they can’t do it, we will do it for them. We are willing to send our people to work under the Comelec’s supervision,” Lacierda added.

If the Comelec insists on retaining Acosta in the previously printed and to be printed ballots, Lacierda claimed it will only add up to the public’s doubt on the efficiency of the agency and the success of the first ever automated elections in the country.

Meanwhile, the poll body insisted that it could no longer change the face of the ballots even as the LP can send IT experts to reformat the system to clear Acosta's name from the list.

“This is the reason we are inviting them to visit the NPO (National Printing Office) so they will understand the process. And if they have queries, they should come to us to discuss the matter,” Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal said in an interview.