House OKs reso for canvassing of votes for prexy, VP in Eleksyon 2022

The House of Representatives on Monday approved the resolution for the joint session with the Senate that will enable the canvassing of votes for the president and the vice president in the just concluded Eleksyon 2022.

This came after the House resumed session after its break for the May 9 national and local polls. The official start of the canvassing of votes is scheduled on Tuesday, May 24.

The 1987 Constitution states that 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, directly to the Senate president.

Upon receipt of the certificates of canvass, the Senate president shall, not later than 30 days after the election day, open all the certificates in the presence of the Senate and the House of Representatives during a 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 earlier in the day adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution 18, authorizing the Senate and the House of Representatives to convene as the National Board of Canvassers starting May 24 to canvass the votes for president and vice president in the May 9 national and local elections.

Ballot boxes containing certificates of canvass (COCs) and election returns (ERs) were also delivered to the Batasang Pambansa complex from the Senate early Monday morning.

The ballot boxes were delivered by 11 6x6 military trucks and two armored personnel carriers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines before 5 a.m.

The trucks delivered 167 ballot boxes of COCs and 441 boxes of ERs, according to a report by Darlene Cay on GMA News' Unang Balita on Monday.

Speaker Lord Allan Velasco has promised that Congress, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC), is duty-bound to guarantee that the entire process of vote counting and transmission of results will be done expeditiously and with utmost transparency and integrity.

The initial schedule of proclaiming the duly-elected president and vice president is on May 27. — RSJ, GMA News