House of Representatives and Senate tribunal staff prepare the tally board during the presidential and vice presidential canvassing of votes at the session hall of House of Representatives on May 25. AFP
Congress sitting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) is willing to stay up until midnight聽to finish the official count and determine the winners of the presidential and vice presidential races, according to Sen. Aquilino 鈥淜oko鈥� Pimentel III.
In an interview before the start of Friday鈥檚 canvassing, Pimentel, Senate chair of the NBOC, said he required provincial board of canvassers with questionable certificates of canvass (COCs) to be present today so that the NBOC could thresh out discrepancies.
He said in case only a few COCs were left to be canvassed by聽10 p.m., the NBOC would be willing to extend to聽12 midnight to finish the official count.
The NBOC would then dedicate the weekend to informing the winners for the proclamation聽on Monday, Pimentel said.
鈥淚 have told my staff to send word to members of the Senate panel that though we expect to stay until聽10 p.m., if necessary we should be willing to stay up to聽12 midnight聽if, for example, a few more COCs are left,鈥� Pimentel said.
鈥淚f a substantial number is left, we can defer this to聽Monday,鈥� he added.
Pimentel said the NBOC would be quick in canvassing the votes 鈥渂ut not too much in a hurry鈥� to listen to the objections and observations being raised by the candidates鈥� camps.
鈥淚f we can finish tonight, then we have a clear winner for our count. Then we have the weekend to convince the indicated winner to come and attend his or her proclamation,鈥� Pimentel said.
Asked about the question of undervotes being constantly pointed out by the lawyers of Sen. Ferdinand 鈥淏ongbong鈥� Marcos Jr., Pimentel said it was not an 鈥渋ssue鈥� in the canvassing for the official count.
Pimentel said Marcos鈥� observation was meant to note a possible improvement in the automated election system in the future to calculate the statistics in the undervotes, overvotes and invalid votes.
鈥淭o guide all of us, the undervotes are not being used to object to the inclusion of the canvass. Hence from the point of view of the person manifesting the undervote, it鈥檚 a nonissue in the count and proclamation,鈥� Pimentel said.
鈥淢aybe they just want to put it on record for possible study or improvement in the system so that in the future, if we should get an automated election system, it should be able to capture undervotes, overvotes and also invalid votes,鈥� he added.
Marcos鈥� lawyers George Garcia and聽Didagen Dilangalen聽 noted during the canvassing聽the 鈥渦nusually high鈥� number of undervotes, claiming that according to their quick count, there were 3.3 million undervotes in the vice presidential race alone.
Marcos had said that millions of undervotes in a 鈥渉otly contested鈥� vice presidential race was a cause for concern. According to the unofficial count, Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robedo of Liberal Party led Marcos by a mere 200,000 votes.
Robredo鈥檚 lawyer, Romulo Macalintal, said there was nothing unusual in undervotes when voters opt to leave blank their choices for vice president even though they voted for a president.
Another counsel for Robredo, Senator-elect Leila de Lima, called the undervote tag from Marcos鈥� camp 鈥渕alicious.鈥�
搁贰础顿:听De Lima hits Marcos camp for repeatedly pointing out undervotes聽
As of聽Thursday聽night, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte maintained his overwhelming lead as president with聽15,140,495 votes.
Boosted by his votes from the 鈥淪olid North鈥� and Ilocos provinces, Marcos led the second day of canvassing by聽 83,840 votes. Marcos garnered 13,214,810 against Robredo鈥檚 13,131,330 as of聽9:55 p.m.聽Thursday, when 113 of 165 COCs were canvassed.
搁贰础顿:听Marcos sustains lead over Robredo on 2nd day of canvassing听触听Marcos overtakes Robredo as 鈥楽olid North鈥� votes canvassed