Comelec Suspends Canvassing Partylist Votes

The Commission on Elections (Comelec), sitting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC), suspended tuesday the canvassing of votes for the partylist groups.

The suspension was declared after NBOC was flooded with questions coming from the partylist groups, which lagged the canvassing of votes for senators for three hours.

In a press briefing, Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes, explained that there are many issues with the partylist groups. He said that there are disqualified partylist groups with pending appeal with the Supreme Court (SC).

Previously, partylist groups A-Ipra, Abang Lingkod, Anad, Ang Galing Pinoy, Atong Paglaum, Senior Citizens, Smart, 1st Kabagis, Bantay, Cocofed, and Binhi were disqualified by the Comelec for the second time along with 39 others. They appealed to the SC which remanded their case to Comelec but with new guidelines.

Bayan Muna Partylist Rep. Neri Colmenares had urged the NBOC to consider the votes for the disqualified partylists as stray votes. Brillantes, however said that their ruling is that these will be counted conditionally because they might appeal to the Supreme Court which might issue a temporary restraining order (TRO). Colmenares maintained that it would be unfair to the other legitimate partylists if the votes for the disqualified groups would still be counted.

Source: www.inquirer.net