Proclamation of pres, VP could have been earlier — Comelec

The proclamation of the winning presidential and vice presidential candidate could have been made earlier given the quick release of the election results, the spokesman for the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Monday. In an interview, poll spokesman James Jimenez said the country's current canvassing process is delaying the proclamation because it was not designed to match the automated election system (AES). "It is rather late considering that the results were available two days after the elections except that we have to give compliance to the law and all of that. While this is all very fast, by Philippine standards, it could have been quicker," he told reporters Monday. A joint session of the House of Representatives and the Senate, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC), is expected to proclaim the winners for the presidential and vice presidential race anytime this week. Article 7, Section 4 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution requires a joint session of Congress to canvass the votes and proclaim the winners for the presidential and vice presidential races not later than 30 days after the elections. But Jimenez said that the procedural requirements in the law are hampering a supposedly faster proclamation. Under the AES, election results were electronically transmitted from the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines to the differents servers immediately after voting ended on election day. Under the current canvassing process, however, the votes still have to be canvassed by the municipal or city board of canvassers, the provincial board of canvassers, and the NBOC, before any proclamation can be made. "What we have now is an automated system overlayed over a manual set-up. It's like forcing a round peg into a square hole. You can pound on it and it will fit but it will be an ugly fit," he said. Jimenez said they plan on addressing this concern during their post-election evaluation conference. "You have to make the peg match into the hole... you have to make the legislative framework match the automated system," he said. He noted, however, that it would be great if Congress would be able to make the proclamation on Monday. "If it happens today, very very early, good. We want it to be earlier because that is the point of automation precisely... to have proclamation over with as soon as possible," he said. On the other hand, the Comelec — also sitting as the NBOC — traditionally proclaims the senatorial and party-list group winners. The poll body has already proclaimed the 12 new senators and the first 28 winning party-list organizations. But Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal said they plan on releasing a separate resolution indicating which party-list nominees can assume their seats in the House of Representatives. Larrazabal issued the statement after some nominees of winning part-list groups were not allowed yet to take their seats because of pending disqualification cases against them. Included in these are Ang Galing Pinoy first nominee Pampanga Rep. Jose Miguel Arroyo and 1-Utak's first nominee former Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes, both of whom are accused of not being a member of the sector they seek to represent. — Kimberly Jane Tan/RSJ/KBK, GMANews.TV