A Malacañang official on Sunday backed the Commission on Elections’ proclamation of winning senatorial candidates ahead of the full count of votes, but said anybody could hale the elections body to court.
The recently concluded 2013 automated elections were worse than the 2010 exercise because of the bigger number of errors and the “arbitrary and highly irregular decisions” which compromised the elections’ credibility and transparency, according to a poll watchdog group.
The ballots have been counted in many provinces, giving fresh mandate to new leaders by July.
Faulty compact flash (CF) cards and malfunctioning PCOS machines delayed transmission of election returns to some municipal and provincial board of canvassers, delaying the proclamation of winners in Cavite, Albay, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Sorsogon, Batangas and Marinduque.
Several Catholic bishops said on Wednesday they were saddened that vote-buying worsened during the May 13 elections, an indication that the Catholic Church should boost its efforts to educate voters amid a nation facing values crisis.
Out of the 11 towns in the province of Davao Oriental, five failed to transmit election results for canvassing.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Negros Oriental has vowed to investigate a claim by a voter that he received a pre-shaded ballot.
Sixteen defective Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines caused delays in the elections in Caloocan City.
Commission on Elections chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. on Monday expressed optimism the 12 newly elected senators will be proclaimed by Wednesday night, but remained cautious on the last three spots that have always proved to be contentious.
Critics of the controversial Precinct Count Optical Scan machines will have their opportunity to prove the that voting gadgets could be hacked or tampered with during their field testing on Monday, one week before the mid-term elections.
The Commission on Elections does not expect any major foul-up in the final testing and sealing (FTS) of the precinct count optical scan machines which begins Thursday, Comelec chief Sixto Brillantes Jr. said Wednesday.
Team PNoy senatorial candidate Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III twitted on Sunday, allegations by the opposition that the current power shortage in Mindanao could be a prelude to a sabotage of the outcome of the automated election in the region.
As senatorial candidates and party-list nominees embark on their campaigns nationwide starting Tuesday, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will also go around the country to set up demonstration centers for its precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines.
