Fixing of 7 SD cards delays canvassing in Camarines Sur

PILI, Camarines Sur — Seven SD cards needed to transmit votes from the municipal to the provincial level are still being reconfigured at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) hub in Legazpi City, an election officer here said Tuesday.

Camarines Sur Election Supervisor Alberto Cañares said the SD cards were from the towns of Siruma, Baao, Bombon, Garchitorena, San Jose, Sipocot, and Tigaon.

Only 20 towns from a total of 37 towns and cities have been canvassed as of 2 p.m.

“The SD cards are at the regional hub, waiting to be reconfigured,” he told the media, assuring the public that the cards would be fixed and the votes transmitted.

“Doubts are always there, but when the SD cards are sent to the regional hub, we have watchers from the candidates and the parties observing. They can attest whether there are misbehaviors happening,” he said.

Gubernatorial reelectionist Miguel “Migz” Villafuerte of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan lead the partial results with 282,847 votes against Roland “Nonoy” Andaya Jr. of National People’s Coalition with 259,002 votes.

Proclamations

Cañares said that they “cannot tell with certainty” whether or not a winner would be proclaimed on Tuesday.

He said lowering the threshold for the counting of the votes would need a decision from the Comelec en banc.

“It may take more time if we do that,” he said.

In two posts on social media, Villafuerte said that ballot boxes were being delivered to the municipalities from the precincts through private vehicles and jeepneys.

Cañares said the official courier for the ballot boxes, Air21, may not have enough employees, so the electoral boards decided to use their own resources, but with the presence of the watchers. (Editor: Leti Z. Boniol)