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<figure class="op-social"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="383" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/B7BckMsv2nk" width="510"></iframe></figure>MANILA - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) confirmed Sunday that it is considering resorting to manual elections, following the <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/halalan2016/focus/03/10/16/why-the-sc-wants-voter-receipts-implemented">Supreme Court order</a> for it to issue ballot receipts on election day.Speaking to radio dzMM, Comelec chairman Atty. Andres Bautista stressed that the order, which came some 60 days before the May 9 elections, has <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/halalan2016/nation/03/10/16/sc-order-on-voters-receipts-shakes-comelecs-timeline">disrupted the preparations</a> of the poll body.Bautista said the Comelec itself is not in favor of holding manual elections or postponing the polls but needs to consider all available options to ensure honest and credible elections.&quot;As much as possible, ayaw naming ipagpaliban ang halalan kasi nakasaad iyan sa ating Saligang Batas. Hindi natin pwedeng basta inuurong iyan. Pangalawa, ayaw rin namin ng manual elections... Sa aking palagay, iyung manual elections ay salungat iyan sa batas natin ngayon; mayroon tayong [Election] Automation Law,&quot; Bautista said.&quot;Pero anong choice niyo nga kung talagang hindi namin magagawa iyung pinapagawa sa amin nang maayos. Sabi ko nga, pwede naman tayong magka-halalan. Pero ang mandato ng Comelec, hindi lang basta halalan. Napakahalaga po na ang ating halalan ay credible at maayos. Kung hindi natin magagawa iyan, talagang dapat na mag-isip tayo ng ibang paraan,&quot; he added.Bautista said a Comelec commissioner has suggested a back-up precinct distribution plan where each precinct will have 400 voters undertaking manual polls and 400 others using the automated election system.He could not say if this is a better alternative compared to postponing the national elections until before June 30.But Bautista insisted that the best option will still be for the Supreme Court to reverse its unanimous ruling for the activation of the feature in vote counting machines (VCMs) that prints voter&#x27;s receipts.&quot;Kami po ay nakikiusap sa ating Korte Supreme, pwede bang tingnan muli itong issue na ito. Kami naman po ay handang mag-demonstrate at pumunta sa kanila para ipaliwanag nang buo kung ano ba itong issue na ito,&quot; he said.The Comelec, in a <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/03/11/16/comelec-asks-sc-to-reverse-ruling-on-printing-voters-receipts">motion for reconsideration</a>, has pointed out that vote receipts will add hours to voting lines and increase the possibility of vote buying.(READ: <a href="http://k2.abs-cbnnews.com/halalan2016/video/nation/03/09/16/why-printing-vote-receipts-is-a-costly-decision">Why printing vote receipts is a costly decision</a>)Technology provider Smartmatic also expressed fears that enabling the printing of voting receipts at this stage of the preparations could lead to the <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/halalan2016/nation/03/11/16/smartmatic-fears-poll-failure-due-to-printing-of-voting-receipts">failure of the 2016 polls</a>.WATCH: <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/halalan2016/video/nation/03/12/16/gordon-hits-comelec-over-scare-tactics">Gordon hits Comelec over &#x27;scare tactics&#x27;</a>

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) confirmed Sunday that it is considering resorting to manual elections, following the Supreme Court order for it to issue ballot receipts on election day.

Halalan 2016 Plan B: Comelec mulls manual polls

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Halalan 2016 Plan B: Comelec mulls manual polls

ABS-CBN News

Published Mar 13, 2016 12:17 PM PHT

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