Con-con balloting during May polls confusing

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is not keen on holding the balloting for delegates of a constitutional convention simultaneous with the May 2010 presidential polls, saying this would confuse voters.

Speaking at the hearing of the constitutional amendments committee of the House of Representatives, Comelec Commissioner Elias Yusop said inclusion of the constitutional convention nominees would make the list of names in the ballot longer.

“We feel the holding of constitutional convention as well as election of delegates simultaneous with the presidential election would be confusing to the public especially that con-con delegates should be elected by districts also in the same way that congressmen are elected by districts,” Yusoph told the panel Tuesday.

The election official noted that the current ballot is configured to accommodate only 600 names.

“If we will include the delegates to the con-con, it will give us a long list of names, it will be too confusing to the public,” he added.

Yusoph also said that the poll body might also run out of time to prepare for the election of constitutional convention delegates since it is swamped with election cases, application of political parties and party list groups that they need to assess and finalize before November.

The committee is tackling resolutions and bills calling for the election of delegates to a constitutional convention, another mode proposed to amend the 1987 Constitution. The committee is expected to come up with a consolidated version.

A resolution for another mode of amendment, the constituent assembly, has been passed in plenary. Speaker Prospero Nograles said that if nothing happened to the constituent assembly resolution by the end of the month, the House would consider proposals for constitutional convention.

The resolution on constituent assembly, House Resolution 1109, is being rejected by several lawmakers as it intends to bypass the Senate in amending the Charter.

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