Team PNoy also wants explanation from Comelec

The administration’s Team PNoy on Thursday called on election officials to explain the alleged glitches that had slowed the official canvass of Monday’s polling.

Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang said the votes that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) had yet to officially count had the potential of creating questions about the integrity of close local contests and the last two slots in the winners’ circle of 12 in the Senate races.

“We’re not accusing anyone of anything but at this point questions being raised by UNA (United Nationalist Alliance) are the same questions being raised by Team PNoy. Why is there a delay in the transmission? We also want answers,” he said.

Carandang said the Comelec should “walk the public through what’s happening so whatever concerns there may be can be addressed.”

Sen. Franklin Drilon, Team PNoy campaign manager, said the election returns were being transmitted smoothly until delays were encountered on Wednesday, “when counting progressed to only 69.2 percent from 69.1 percent on Tuesday.”

“It is expected that some 25 percent of election returns will not be transmitted electronically but manually. This may have an impact on local races where the margins between contenders is tight and could even have an impact on the last two slots in the senatorial race,” Drilon said in a statement.

He pointed out incidents in areas like the fourth district of Camarines Sur where election results were not transmitted due to defective compact flash cards.

He added that Team PNoy and Liberal Party congressional candidate Aga Muhlach, who had been consistently ahead in the tally, started trailing his opponent on Wednesday morning after several precincts failed to transmit the election returns.

Team PNoy discovered the “file reduction or deletion technical issue” and brought it to the attention of the Comelec on Thursday.

“With just 30 percent of the total votes left to be counted, we are worried that these incidents could have an impact on the perception on what has so far been a smooth and orderly election,” Drilon said. “We do not want the public to question the integrity of the electoral process. We hope that the root causes of such delays will be addressed immediately.”