Impatient partylist groups prod Comelec to proclaim winners

Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Delays in the canvassing and consolidation of votes would increase the possibility of fraud, partylist lawmakers warned the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday.

Citing the early proclamation of senators-elect in the past week, the Makabayan bloc, a group composed of several progressive parties, urged the poll body to do the same this time with the winning partylist groups.

Bayan Muna Representative Neri Colmenares said that the Comelec en banc, sitting as the national board of canvassers (NBOC), has canvassed more than 110 COCs so far and that while the “12 disqualified partylist groups can appeal their disqualification to the Supreme Court, the proclamation can’t be delayed just because parties of politicians like Mikey Arroyo’s Ang Galing Pinoy wants to sit in Congress.”

Bayan Muna on Wednesday filed a motion to proclaim winning partylists with the NBOC.

“The Comelec proclaimed the first six senators with only 72 COCs (certificates of canvass) received, amid questions of legality. Why isn’t Comelec pushing for the proclamation of winning party-list groups?” he asked.

The poll body suspended the canvassing of votes for party-list groups last week due to questions on how votes for 12 disqualified groups would be treated.

Colmenares saw the suspension of the canvassing of votes for partylist groups as “illegal” and added that the “delayed proclamation compounds the discrimination against partylist groups.”

Canvassing of the votes resumed Monday.

Anakpawis Representative Rafael Mariano said that the Automated Election System Law sought to “determine the will of the people in an expeditious manner. What is the Comelec waiting for?”

“(With) more than 28,292,869 party-list votes counted, it is time for the NBOC to proclaim the clear winners in the party-list race. The delay only raises the possibility of fraud by losing partylist groups,” said Colmenares.

He said that delaying proclamation because of pending appeals to the Supreme Court over the disqualified partylist groups would only “deprive the marginalized from getting a seat in congress.”

“Appeals to the SC will take years,” he argued.