Setting a new pace

Regardless of one’s political affiliation, the speed by which the Commission on Elections ruled on the poll protest in the mayoralty race in Makati is a welcome development. Romulo Peña Jr. has a right to appeal the Comelec’s dismissal of his poll protest against Mayor Abigail Binay. But if the poll body can decide on such an appeal with the same speed as in the original complaint, this is progress that must be sustained.

The same speed must be applied by the Comelec in other electoral protests. Rules can be tightened and penalties imposed or increased to discourage frivolous complaints, which waste the time, effort and resources of the poll body.

The electoral tribunals, for their part, should also aim to match the new pace set by the Comelec. While challenges involving the races for the presidency, vice presidency and the Senate are much more complex and difficult to resolve than those in local races, it shouldn’t prove impossible to speed up the resolution of protests before the electoral tribunals.

Such protests must be resolved as quickly as possible, to dispel uncertainty over the mandate of national officials. The tribunals can impose reasonable deadlines for protesters to substantiate their accusations of cheating. If the deadlines are not met, the protests should be tossed out.

Filipinos like to joke that there are only two types of candidates in this country: the winners and those who have been cheated. But it’s no laughing matter when doubts cast over the victory of national officials create instability, especially if the post being challenged is one of the two highest positions in the land. Such protests must not remain unresolved for the entire term of the contested position.

Cheating is a reality in Philippine elections, but there are also frivolous complaints that are filed merely by sore losers. Speeding up the resolution of electoral protests should be welcomed by everyone. Those who have been unfairly accused of cheating can carry out their tasks unimpeded by doubts about the legitimacy of their victory. For those who are truly victims of fraud or inadvertent errors in vote counting, speedy resolution would allow them to assume the contested post long before the term is over. The ultimate winners are the voters, whose mandate must not be undermined by fraud or the slow resolution of protests.