Sotto to Comelec spox: Prove authorized early transmission of votes

POLL IRREGULARITIES Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III exposes alleged irregularities committed during the automated balloting in May 2016 in a privilege speech on Tuesday. —EDWIN BACASMAS

IN A NUTSHELL: James Jimenez hit for making poll body look incapable ♦  Sotto to present more proofs on Monday ♦ Poll spokesman dared to show memo on early transmission

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Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III dared an official of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday to present proof that authorized the transmission of votes even before the election day of 2016.

“The spokesperson of the Comelec is making their institution look incapable,” Sotto said in a statement, referring to Comelec spokesman James Jimenez.

“Show me a circular or memo that shows the authorized transmission of votes to the server from May 8 to the wee hours of May 9, 2016. In the absence of such circular, did he just admit that there was indeed irregularity in the 2016 presidential elections?” he said.

In a privilege speech last Tuesday, Sotto claimed receiving information that the 2016 polls were tainted with irregularities, such as early transmissions of votes and alleged proof of “foreign access” in the election servers.

READ: Sotto informant claims 2016 poll results ‘altered’

The Majority Leader vowed to present more proofs on Monday to back his claims.

“I will present more logs on Monday. I suggest they wait for the hearing. It’s the best venue to plead their case,” Sotto said.

The senator issued the statement after Jimenez reportedly said that Sotto’s speech contained “no indications” of his own allegations. /je