PPCRV won't stop unofficial election count

The Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) will not cease the ongoing partial and unofficial tally of election returns despite calls from Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos to terminate the process.

In an interview on GMA News TV's QRT, PPCRV media director Anna de Villa Singson said there is no reason for the poll watchdog to stop its count.

She belied claims by Marcos, who is in second place behind Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo in the vice presidential race, that  there is an "alarming and suspicious trend" that caused the senator to fall behind.

"How can there be trending when there are still depending on voter turnout that is still between two million to four million worth of votes to be counted na hindi pa nata-transmit, so papano naman naging trending yon?" she said.

"Meron nang Montalban, Rizal, meron nang NCR, pero yung election returns kasi from Visayas kung saan ang bailiwicks nila, Bicol at Ilocos 'di ba, nililipad 'yun eh, coming from Visayas, so we're expecting that to come in tonight or tomorrow and then mabibilang natin pagdating nila," Singson said.

Furthermore, she clarified that VCMs do not transmit ERs on schedule and and will send data regardless of time or sleeping schedules.

"Dumadating yung data sa server depende kung kelan nakapag-transmit ang VCM. Eh kung naka-transmit yung VCM habang natutulog tayo, yun ang datos na pinapadala nila. In fact, while we sleep tonight, more data will be coming in," Singson said.

Only the Commission on Elections can stop the PPCRV's count.

Plan B

In an interview with reporters at his campaign headquarters in Mandaluyong City, Marcos said the results of the voting in his bailiwick Ilocos region are being withheld to allegedly make it appear that his opponent, Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo is already in the lead.

“Yung tinutukoy ko talaga ay yung mga galing sa Norte, yung mga malalaki. Meron pang mga boto galing sa Isabela, galing sa Pangasinan, galing sa ibang bahagi ng Norte at hanggang ngayon hindi pa nabibilang,” Marcos said.

Marcos said the transmittal of votes from the Ilocos region was suddenly stopped before 12 midnight on Tuesday causing his one million lead at the start of the counting on Monday night to narrow down.

“Hanggang mga ala-una ng umaga ay nawala yung isang milyon na boto na lamang at naunahan na tayo. E basta’t pinipilit nilang gawin na mauna si Robredo sa akin,” Marcos said.

“Ang sistemang ginagawa nila ay iniipit yung boto ko para hindi lumabas sa PPCRV tapos yung boto ni Robredo inuuna na,” he added.

No reason to stop

Robredo, for her part, said she sees no reason for the partial and unofficial counting of votes by election watchdogs to be stopped.

"Sa akin kasi walang dahilan para ihinto. Every elections alam natin na mayroong quick count. Yung quick count nga nagbibigay sa atin ng ideya sa resulta ng eleksyon, yung official yun yung confirmation nito," Robredo said in an interview in 24 Oras.

Robredo expressed suspicion over Marcos' demands.

"Ang sa akin, bakit ipapahinto, may balak ba silang gawin?" she asked.

Robredo noted how it would be difficult to cheat in automated polls — unless one has the know-how to do so..

"Eto naman yung automated elections napakahirap dayain. Unless alam nila kung paano dadayain," Robredo said.

"Ang tanong ko lang kung may nakikita siyang anomaliya, rineport ba nila ito sa Comelec," she added. —Rie Takumi/JST, GMA News