Quezon City (24 October) -- CONTRARY to claims by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's election lawyer, Malacañang said on Monday that the 2007 elections will push through.

Presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye said the Palace did not share the opinion of lawyer Romulo Macalintal, who said the lack of time to conduct a bidding for the supply of automated vote counting machines for next year’s elections would lead to the cancellation of the polls.

“That is his (Macalintal’s) view and we don't necessarily share his opinion because we are basing everything on what is in the law,” Bunye said. “And based on existing law, we have elections scheduled for May 2007.”