The postponement of the upcoming ARMM elections could probably help if considered in the context of the ongoing peace talks. Let us just not forget, however, that the polls on August 11 provides the country a good opportunity to finally see whether the much-awaited poll automization would be accurate and free from cheating . If the polls would be postponed by Congress, which is not impossible because President Arroyo has already endorsed it, then this is also tantamount to postponing a meaningful exercise that would help safeguard the 2010 polls.
As far as automated polls are concerned, government should set an early date to test these machines, so that enough time would be given for any needed adjustments for the 2010 polls. After all, we cannot afford a repeat of 2004. The machines need to have their dry run asap.
***
At long last! The long mothballed Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 is open, following the maiden flight of Cebu Pacific from Manila to Caticlan in Aklan. Never mind if it was timed so close to the State of the Nation Address, and never mind if the President will make a big deal about it on Monday. It’s about time it opened. Let’s hope that international flights start sooner as well, rather than later.