Comelec hopes for 100% canvassed votes before proclamation of senators, party-list groups

May 19, 2019

The Commission on Elections is eyeing the proclamation of the winners in the May 13 senatorial and party-list elections early this week, an official said on Sunday.

The poll body initially targeted to have the proclamation of the winners on Sunday. But this was cancelled due to other certificates of canvass (COCs) that the Comelec has yet to receive.

“Yes, next week… As long as we get the remaining COCs (certificates of canvass),” Comelec Education and Information Department (EID) Assistant Director Frances Arabe told reporters in Pasay City.

She said the poll body, which acts as the National Board of Canvassers, wants to complete the canvassing of votes.

“We are still aiming for (100 percent votes) as much as we can even though we already lowered (the threshold in) some areas,” said Arabe.

She said the threshold would be slashed in Jones, Isabela and San Pablo, Zamboanga del Sur after armed men burned the vote counting machines and other election paraphernalia.

The official said the votes from this places could affect votes for local and party-list candidates.

Comelec released a resolution, ordering a special election in Barangay Dicamay I, Jones, Isabela on May 20, affecting around 1,000 votes.

Arabe said it would still depend on the situation if Comelec would proclaim partial or all the winners.

“It depends. So if we can do partial then will do it first,” she said.

She clarified that they would still finish counting as she hoped that the remaining COCs would arrive either Sunday or Monday.

On the petitions by some quarters to suspend canvassing, Arabe said the Comelec en banc would decide on the matter.

“It’s already in place, they are on continuing session. So far there is still no resolution on that, they are still studying it,” she said.

Arabe clarified that it was not only National Youth Commissioner Ronald Cardema who filed for a substitution.

“It (will be) included in the resolution. It’s not only him who filed, there's a lot. So the resolution will come out not only for (Duterte) Youth but also other party-lists,” she said.

“They will resolve it at the same time. It’s still pending because every party-list has different situation,” she added.

However, Arabe could not say the other party-list organizations, which also filed a petition.

She said the en banc would also resolve the issue on whether it would be allowed to file a petition during weekends.

On the statement of the National Movement for Free Election (Namfrel) urging the Comelec to return to manual voting, Arabe said there is no problem with them as long as the law would be amended.

“There is no problem with us to do manual, they just have to amend the law and make it manual again. On what is the prescribed law, the Comelec will implement it whether automatic or manual,” she said. Ella Dionisio/DMS