Opposition groups should end their obsession about alleged election failure supposedly being plotted by the administration given the successful start of the overseas absentee voting, a Palace official said Monday.

With Filipinos overseas starting to cast their ballot, Deputy Presidential Spokesman Gary Olivar said they expect this successful exercise would continue and carry over into the automated elections this May 10.

“I note that some of the earliest congratulations on the auspicious start of the overseas voting came from local politicians belonging to the LP (Liberal Party). Can we expect them now, on the basis of this early success to tone down the volume of their intemperate rhetoric about failure of elections and shortcomings of Comelec?” Olivar asked in a news conference in the Palace.

“It’s been a good start and we’re hopeful that the whole point here is to take the cue from early success and continue to work for success, instead of obsessing about failure,” he added.

Olivar said the administration has expressed support for the Comelec in its challenging and unprecedented task, citing its repeated appeal to people “not to obsess about failure and start working instead for success.

He also reminded the public that “we are not crabs, we are better and we can do better than the self-serving predictions of the merchants of doom.”

Olivar likewise tried to downplay the malfunctions of two poll machines in Hong Kong, saying the machines which may have been affected by the weather eventually worked later in the day. “So far, we don’t expect additional glitches in the elections overseas,” he said.

To prevent such incidents from happening again, Olivar said the public must remain vigilant to ensure the success of the country’s first automated elections next month. “It is not enough that we sit around and wait for success. We should work for it, give moral support the Comelec amid attacks against the electoral process,” he said.

Malacañang earlier called on Filipinos living and working abroad to time off from work and cast their ballots in nearby embassies and consulates amid reports of low turnout of voters.