Castillano
THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) provincial office will proceed with the inventory, sealing and turnover of ballot boxes contested by the camp of former Cebu City mayor Michael Rama at 8:30 am today.
The ballot boxes will be taken out of the container vans located near the City Treasurer’s Office at City Hall for the inventory.
It was supposed to start yesterday but the lawyers of Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña objected to the shipping company chosen by Rama’s camp to transport the ballot boxes to Manila.
Comelec provincial supervisor Lionel Castillano said he was informed that Rama’s camp contacted Sulpicio Lines Inc. which owns cargo ships.
“It was objected by the lawyers of protestee Mayor Tom for the reason that Sulpicio is a cargo ship. They are not allowed to carry passengers,” he said.
The ballot boxes will be escorted by police and two representatives coming from both parties.
It will then be transported to the Comelec Philpost warehouse where the recount will take place.
The ballot boxes came from the 168 pilot protested precincts which include Barangays Guadalupe, Inayawan, Ermita, Camputhaw, Mabolo, Punta Princesa, T.Padilla, Poblacion Pardo, Sambag I, Basak San Nicolas, Basak Pardo, Bulacao and Calamba.
Castillano said he reminded the lawyers of Rama’s camp to contact 2Go Travel instead.
He said the ballot boxes will be transferred to the container vans of the forwarder for shipment.
Castillano said the inventory will take two to three days to finish, and the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) will provide 24-hour security.
By the time the ballot boxes reach Manila, Castillano said the recounting of votes would start.