Comelec vows to probe missing COCs in several provinces

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday vowed to look into the missing certificates of canvass (COCs) in several provinces during the canvassing of votes for the president and vice president.

At a press briefing, Comelec Commissioner Marlon Casquejo said the provincial election supervisors (PES) were able to produce electronic copy of the missing hardcopies of the COCs and proceeded for canvassing.

On Tuesday night, the Congress, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC), deferred the canvassing of votes for president and vice president from the provinces of Pampanga, Sultan Kudarat, and Surigao del Sur due to missing COCs.

“For whatever reasons it is not acceptable to us because it is part of our general instructions in our resolution that the first copy should be put in the ballot box intended for the NBOC, for the Congress, for the canvassing the position of president and vice president,” Casquejo said.

“So we will look into it kung ano yung nangyari. I guess inadvertently due to fatigue or whatsoever reasons but I think it is not an excuse for us because it is a clear job of our PES and election officers,” he added.

Casquejo, however, assured that the election officers in the designated areas immediately submitted the hard copies on Wednesday morning.

Asked if the election officers will face sanctions, Casquejo said “So if it is justifiable naman, then pwede naman natin palipasin na lang. If not, then we will make sanctions based on our civil service rules.”

Atty. April Joy Balano earlier explained that the missing COCs were at the Provincial Election Supervisor's office, mixed up with the COCs for other elective positions.

The joint panel has processed 104 out of 173 COCs as of Tuesday night. — RSJ, GMA News