Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III on Saturday, January 8 said a nationwide protest would most likely become a scenario of a no-election (No-El) situation in May, 2022.
‘’Yun ang pinakamalaking magiging kasalanan pag hindi tinuloy yan kasi, nationwide, maraming aalma, maraming papalag diyan (It will become the biggest sin if there will be nation elections as many will protest nationwide),’’ Sotto said during a DWIZ radio interview today.
Sotto, a vice presidential bet, said he and presidential aspirant Senator Panfilo M. Lacson have already discussed this possibility and have agreed on how to resolve the issue.
The Senate chief said that a possible ‘’no-election’’ scenario surfaced as early as last year.
‘’Kasi umugong-ugong yung kung baka (unclear) daw yung COVID-19, baka daw walang makalabas ng bahay, mga ganito-ganyan, o baka hindi kaya ng Comelec (Commission on Elections), may mangyari, ganito (Due to COVID-19, many would be able to leave their homes or the Comelec) might not be able to do its job, among others). Maraming mga ganoong speculations nung una eh, di ba? (There are many speculations). Lalo na nagkakaproblema yung administrasyon noon, kung sino ang kandidato nila, so maraming mga tsismis-tsismis na lumalaganap eh (The administration has many problems, who its candidates are.. there are so many rumors),’’ he added.
Considering the attempt to delay the May 2022 polls and extend President Duterte’s term, (opposition Senator Leila) De Lima said she supports the plan by Senate President Vicente Sotto III to elect a new leader who would serve as acting president if no other higher official is elected by June 30.
“I am fully supporting the plan of the Senate leadership to elect, before Congress adjourns in June 2022, a senator serving as the interim Senate President who will take over as caretaker President of the Republic in accordance with Sec. 7, Art. VII of the 1987 Constitution, in the event that the possible Cusi “No-El” scheme (of Partido Demoratikong Pilipino-Laban Cusi wing) comes to fruition with the connivance of the Comelec),” she said.
De Lima said the silence of Malacañang on the Cusi petition to reopen the filing of certificate of candidacy (COCs) and postpone the printing of ballots is deafening.
Coming from the party of the President, the petition is impliedly supported by the administration in the absence of any pronouncement to the contrary coming from Malacañang, she said.
On the other hand, despite the outlandish nature of the petition, the Comelec has chosen to let it subsist for the time being, instead of dismissing it outright for being highly irregular, she pointed out.