Slow vote transmission delays results declaration

By Johanna Sampan/Manila TimesThe slow transmission of Certificates of Canvass (COCs) from the Provincial Board of Canvassers has prompted the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to defer the proclamation of the winning senatorial candidates yesterday.The poll body said the Magic 12 will be proclaimed today.The Comelec, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers, attributed the delays in transmitting the COCs to weak signals.“We are still analysing what is happening in the field .We are officially cancelling the scheduled proclamation of senators tonight,” Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr said.He refused to elaborate on the cause of the delay in the electronic transmission but assured that the winners will be declared within the week.“We can already proclaim some (winners) today if we want to, but the decision is that we would rather go for a more substantial number,” Brillantes told reporters.“We should be able to make some partial proclamations by tomorrow (Thursday) and probably finish it by Friday, or at most Saturday,” he said.He added that the COCs are secured and tampering is impossible.“I can give 110% assurance that there will be no hocus pocus here. But we only want to give assurance to those that are in doubt,” he said.Brillantes on Tuesday said all winners in the senatorial race would be proclaimed by yesterday.As of press time, the NBoC reported 21 canvassed COCs from Guimaras province, Paranaque City, Mandaluyong City, Romblon province, Iligan City in Lanao del Norte, Dinagat Islands, Navotas City, Baguio City, Southern Leyte, Antique, Mountain Province, Batanes, Qurinio, Nueva Viscaya, Bataan, Makati City, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Occidental, Singapore, Hong Kong and Camiguin with a combined total of 2,978,686 votes.Grace Poe Llamanzares was still leading with 1,520,880 votes. She was followed by senators, Loren Legarda with 1,420,068 and Francis Escudero, 1,367,597.Nancy Binay of the United Nationalist Alliance’s (UNA) was in fourth place with 1,341,777, followed by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, 1,321,587; Liberal Party’s (LP) Edgardo Angara, 1,250,443; the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino’s Sen Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel, 1,193,232 votes and LP’s Bam Aquino, 1,181,655.In 9th and 10th places are UNA’s Rep Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito with 1,131,921 and former senator Richard Gordon, 1,081,080.Senator Antonio Trillanes was in 11th place with 1,076,984 and former Las Pinas representative Cynthia Villar in 12th with 1,066,122 votes.Completing the top 20 are UNA’s Gringo Honasan with 1,028,376 votes, Juan Miguel Zubiri, 998,939, Ramon Magsaysay Jr, 927,154; Juan Ponce Enrile Jr, 912,764 and Akbayan’s Risa Hontiveros, 812,230.