Congress secures ballots for canvassing of President, VP votes

Around 600 ballot boxes which contain certificates of canvass and election results are secured in a room near the plenary hall of the House of Representatives for the canvassing of the votes for president and vice president. PHOTO BY MARC JAYSON CAYABYAB/INQUIRER.net

Around 600 ballot boxes were delivered to the House of Representatives in time for the start of the joint session of Congress for the canvassing of the votes for the presidential and vice presidential elections.

Military trucks delivered the ballot boxes from the Senate to the House of Representatives around 6 a.m. on Tuesday.

READ: Congress to convene for canvassing of president, VP results Tuesday

A total of 129 ballot boxes containing the certificates of canvass and 499 ballot boxes containing the election results are now safely secured in a room beside the plenary hall of Congress, according to executive director Col. Isabelito Flores of the Legislative Security Bureau.

The House also received 58 pouches containing the certificates of canvass.

A tally board for the presidential and vice presidential election results was also set up near an entrance of the plenary hall, where the canvassing will take place.

The House and the Senate are set to conduct a joint session at 2 p.m. later to approve the rules of the canvassing.

The canvassing of votes will officially start on Wednesday.

Under the Constitution, Congress in a joint session is tasked to canvass the votes certified by the board of canvassers of each city and province.

Congress will also proclaim the winning President and Vice President.

According to the unofficial count of the electronically transmitted votes, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte of the Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan is the presumptive President-elect.

Camarines Sur Rep. Ma. Leonor “Leni” Robredo’s victory as vice president is being questioned by her closest rival, Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., who trailed  Robredo by a slim margin of around 200,000 votes. RAM/rga

READ: Congress sets canvass as VP race hangs