Congress to pass rules for president, VP canvassing upon resumption —Comelec

The Senate and the House of Representatives are expected to initially pass guidelines for their own canvassing of the certificates of canvass (COC) for the 2022 polls once they resume their sessions, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Sunday. 

In a Super Radyo dzBB interview, Comelec Commissioner George Garcia said that the 172 out of 173 COCs that the Comelec, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC), had canvassed might already be passed on to the Congress in time for the start of the official count of votes cast for president and vice president.

“Sa aking palagay, ang una nilang gagawin, ang first agenda nila, siguradong sigurado ‘yung pagpasa ng rules, ‘yung guidelines ng canvassing nila. Hindi po nila siyempre ia-adopt ‘yung rules namin ng canvass at sa pagkakaalam natin, nag-draft na sila ng kanilang rules at for approval bukas ng Senado at saka Mababang Kapulungan,” he said.

(Their first agenda will surely be to pass the rules or guidelines for their own canvassing. They will not adopt the guidelines of the Comelec. I think they have already drafted their guidelines that are for approval by the Senate and Lower House tomorrow.)

Under the 1987 Constitution, the returns of every election for president and vice-president, duly certified by the board of canvassers of each province or city, shall be transmitted to Congress, directed to the Senate president.

Upon receipt of the certificates of canvass, the Senate president shall, not later than 30 days after the day of the election, open all the certificates in the presence of the Senate and the House of Representatives in joint public session, and the Congress, upon determination of the authenticity and due execution thereof in the manner provided by law, will canvass the votes.

The Senate and the House of Representatives are set to resume sessions on May 23. After which, Congress will convene the NBOC to start the official count of votes cast for president and vice president.

Garcia, however, noted that Congress will technically start its canvassing on Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The Comelec is set to conduct special elections in Tubaran, Lanao del Sur—the lone area that is set to submit its COC—on May 24, after its reported failure of elections, acting poll spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco earlier said. —KG, GMA News