LP calls for complete canvassing of votes cast on May 10
Opening of ERs, SOVs necessary to know true will of the people
The incoming administration party Liberal Party today called for a complete canvassing of all votes cast on May 10 to ensure and accurate and credible count for the presidential and vice presidential race.
LP Secretary-General and Cavite Rep. Joseph E.A. Abaya stressed canvassing by the joint congressional National Board of Canvassers should reflect accurately the actual votes recorded in the election returns from the 76,000 Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines distributed nationwide.
“The joint congressional committee should have a 100% canvassing threshold, not more, not less. Only by counting all of the votes cast would the real voice of the people be heard,” Abaya said.
He noted reports that Certificates of Canvass (COCs) transmitted to Congress for the joint count were incomplete, pointing out that an estimated 5% of total votes cast nationwide, or about 1.8 million votes, were not reflected in the COCs transmitted by the Provincial Board of Canvassers as a result of the lowering of the canvassing threshold in numerous cities and municipalities nationwide.
The Comelec en banc lowered the canvassing thresholds in various cities and municipalities to allow the proclamations of winning local candidates, which were delayed due to glitches in the PCOS transmissions.
“Many of the COCs transmitted by the Provincial Board of Canvassers showed the lowered threshold of less than 100%. In short, there are incomplete. If we rely the canvassing of these incomplete COCs, then what about the votes that were not included? We must respect the right to suffrage of all Filipinos. We must make sure that all votes cast are counted,” Abaya said.
“This is particularly significant in the race for vice-president as the perceived lead of one candidate over another is slim,” Abaya said.
He also noted that of the votes canvassed in the precinct level, only 90.5% have been transmitted to the Comelec main server and to the Pope Pius XII server. The Cavite congressman said the remaining 9.5% votes that have not yet been transmitted and which have yet to be counted is equivalent to an estimated 3.6 million, which could significantly affect the outcome of the May 10 elections.
Abaya also cited reports that from the 90.5% transmission, about 260 PCOS machines reported only 10 votes or less and not the actual number of votes. What were transmitted to the Comelec were the Final Sealing and Testing (FTS) results in the back-up memory cards – which were the results during the testing stage of the PCOS machines and not the actual votes during the May 10 elections. “To determine the sovereign will of the Filipino people, and for the sake of accuracy, it is imperative that every vote must be counted,” he said.
