UPDATE: Green light for automated 2010 polls

24 March 2009: President Macapagal-Arroyo has signed R.A. 9525, thereby appropriating an P11.3-billion supplemental budget for the full automation of the 2010 national and local elections.

So far, six companies, including several foreign groups, have expressed an interest in supplying the voting machines. The process of selecting the supplier will begin on Friday, March 27.

Several lawmakers are still eyeing the retention of manual counting, at least in the local level. A “companion bill” calling for manual counting has been filed in the House of Representatives, and is scheduled for deliberations on April 13.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer, March 24, 2009.