The Commission on Elections (Comelec) rescheduled the inventory of the ballot boxes included in the election protest filed by former Cebu City mayor Michael Rama to May 2 since the parties concerned were not notified in time.
The Comelec’s Cebu office received a written request from Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña asking them to consider moving the date of the inventory since their representative is still in Manila.
Also required to witness the inventory were representatives from the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, Senate Electoral Tribunal, and Comelec District 1 and 2.
“It’s difficult to proceed with the inventory without the representatives,” Provincial Comelec supervisor Lionel Castillano said.
He said their office is focused on the ongoing registration for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.
“Our primary duty now is the registration. It (inventory) will be delayed only for two days because we will start by May 2,” he said.
He said the Comelec’s April 17 order stated that election officers in the city and the City Treasurer’s Office should proceed with the inventory within 10 days upon receipt of notice.
Castillano said only the physical condition of the ballot boxes will be observed during the inventory.
“We will see the condition of the boxes, is the plastic seal still there, is it padlocked, only the physical condition. What is outside,” he said.
After the inventory, Castillano said the ballot boxes will be delivered to Comelec Philpost Warehouse in Manila where the recount will be done.
Castillano will meet Team Rama’s lawyer Ernesto Rama on the inventory.
“We will decide on how to transport the ballots to Manila. With regards to the retrieval, the protestant will shoulder the expenses,” Castillano said.
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