Officials and lawyers of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the proponents of the issuance of voter receipts face off on Thursday as the Supreme Court begins to hear oral arguments concerning the implementation of the Voters Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT).
Among the issues to be touched are whether the SC ruling can be complied with in good faith for the May 9 elections considering the material time left for preparations, and whether there are sufficient safeguards to meet the requirement of a VVPAT.
The petitioners—Bagumbayan-VNP Movement and former Senator Richard Gordon—and the respondent will be given 10 minutes each to deliver their opening statements.
Interpellation will immediately follow the parties’ presentation of arguments.
In accordance with the four-page advisory of the SC en banc, the Comelec is also required to submit its timeline and relevant work plans to support its position.
The Comelec has appealed the High Court’s ruling requiring the printing of voters receipts in compliance with the minimum security requirement under the Automated Elections Systems Law.
The Comelec said that the SC decision turned the election schedule upside down.
Meanwhile, the High Court denied the petition for intervention filed by former Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director Augusto Syjuco for lack of merit.