MALASIQUI, Pangasinan – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said non-winning candidates or anyone who are unsatisfied with the election results are free to file complaints or protest after the formal proclamation of winning candidates.
This following a press conference of officials of the Abante Ilocano Pangasinan (API) Party-list whose founder is former Governor and Representative Amado Espino Jr. on the alleged irregularities in the May 9 polls.
In a phone interview on Tuesday, provincial election supervisor lawyer Ericson Oganiza said they may file their election protest for revision of ballots, but they have to wait for the formal proclamation of winners as there is no longer pre-proclamation controversy due to the automation of the elections.
Oganiza said that through the revision of ballots or the manual recount, they may be able to check on the alleged irregularities.
API Party-list Secretary-General lawyer Nelson Gayo said they are yet to decide as a party on their next step of action on the alleged “cheating” on the election day.
“We are gathering evidence and sworn statements. This election process is far from over,” he said.
Meanwhile, the provincial electoral board is still waiting for the transmission of election results from six towns in the province of Pangasinan to proclaim the winners in gubernatorial, vice-gubernatorial, and board members’ posts.
Oganiza said other 42 local government units have already transmitted election results, and proclaimed winning candidates.
The six towns that are yet to transmit the results are Bugallon, Mabini, Manaoag, Mapandan, San Quintin, and Natividad.
“The delay in the transmission was due to malfunctioned vote-counting machines (VCMs) and defective storage device cards,” he said.
Oganiza said some precincts in these towns borrowed each other’s VCMs while the others have waited for the approval of the Comelec central office before they could reconfigure the cards.
“Two of these towns might transmit the results until tomorrow,” he said.
Some VCMs also encountered poor internet signals during transmission, he added. (PNA)
Source: Philippines News Agency
