Speaker Prospero Nograles Monday urged politicians to observe the Holy Week with prayer for the successful conduct of this year’s election in light of his warning that Comelec’s refusal to purge the voter’s list could trigger an election failure.

In a text message, he said the best thing politicians can do during the week is to say a prayer for the successful conduct of elections.

“Keep your call and pray harder for the success of elections and not failure thereof,” he said of politicians.

Asked if his question could mean there are other politicians who could be praying for the failure of elections, the Speaker refused to answer.

Nograles earlier said that while he believes the grim scenario painted by Liberal Party standard bearer Sen Benigno “Noynoy”Aquino III, “is nearly remote,” the Comelec seems to be providing the right excuse for some people to stir civil chaos.

“While I don't subscribe with this scenario being painted by Senator Noynoy, the Comelec's lack of pro-active thinking is also very frustrating. It seems we only provided the Comelec billions of poll automation fund not to make the elections clean and credible but to make election cheating faster and more efficient,” Nograles lamented.

Taking his cue from the findings of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting that there are more 40,000 multiple/double registrants and dead registrants in Davao City and Davao del Sur province, Nograles has urged the Comelec to cleanse its voters list to avert the possibility of multiple voting.

He also filed a petition for mandamus before the Supreme Court to ask the High Court to compel the Comelec to cleanse its voters' list instead of relying on a so-called “watchlist” which the poll body said would be adequate to address the problem on multiple/double registrants and dead registrants.

Nograles is particularly worried about this issue because based on the estimate of the PPCRV, there are around 2.3 million up to 5 million double/multiple registrants all over the country and this figure he said, “is enough to determine the outcome of the May 2010 elections particularly in the presidential and vice-presidential race.”