Comelec puts off proclaiming winning candidates
“Not today.”
This was the announcement of the Commission on Elections ( Comelec) on Tuesday after the certificate of canvass coming from the United States has yet to be transmitted.
“Very sorry to disappoint everyone but it looks like, today is not the day,” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said in a press briefing at PICC, Pasay City.
The National Board of Canvassers ( NBOC) resumed sessions around 12 noon and so far, it has received the COCs from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The Comelec has received 166 COCs out of 167.
Red carpets were placed outside the NBOC headquarters in anticipation for Tuesday’s proclamation.
Jimenez said the 228,472 votes from Washington DC can still affect the 10th to 12th spot in the senatorial race.
“We have to await the returns from Washington because they represent more than 200,000 registered voters,” he said.
“So in order to make sure that there will be no movement on the ranking of the elected officials, we need to get that squared away,” he added.
It was reported earlier the “tentative” schedule for the proclamation of the winning senators will be held on Tuesday evening.
The poll body said they are expecting the transmission to arrive late evening.
“It’s around midnight in Washington DC and we are trying to raise them but it’s hard to connect,” said Jimenez.
As of this writing, the Comelec office in Washington is expecting the results from Los Angeles to arrive around 8 pm (Philippine time).
He said the delay for the transmission is due to the logistics of sending the returns from Los Angeles to Washington.
“Once canvassed in Washington, it will undergo electronic transmission and hopefully that would be fast,” he said.
“Our commissioners are planning to stay until they finish (the canvass) so that we can push the proclamation as soon as possible,” Jimenez added.
Asked why the overseas posts did not anticipate these problems, Jimenez said they are also interested in finding out why.
“That’s something we are interested as well. I’m not sure if this is the first time that automated (voting) in US,” he said.
Jimenez said they informed the candidates' representative and clarified that they have not yet released invitation for them.
The Comelec said they will announce the final schedule.
“I guess our reasonable expectation is within a day or two but at this point with everything that’s happen. Let’s just wait for tonight,” said Jimenez. Ella Dionisio/DMS
