Comelec: 62 electoral protests lower than 2010 polls

MANILA, Philippines - The number of electoral protest cases filed in this year’s midterm elections is lower at 62, despite the criticisms thrown at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for re-using the precinct count optical scan machines.

The 62 cases are much lower than the 96 cases lodged with the Comelec in connection to the first automated elections in 2010.

“The deadline for the filing of protest cases is already over and there are only 62 cases filed with us. These involve local positions like provincial, cities, towns, and regional,” said Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr.

Protest cases involving candidates for district congressmen and party-list representatives must be filed with the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal, while cases against senatorial bets must be lodged with the Senate Electoral Tribunal.

Under Comelec Resolution 9720, a protest case could be filed within 10 days after a winning candidate has been proclaimed. The resolution also contains rules on protest cases.

Brillantes said the new procedure in recounting contested ballots is faster and cheaper.

“We came out with new rules for the purpose of facilitating the resolution of protest cases. Right now, when you file a case, you get the pilot 20 percent of ballots from protested precincts and you bring the ballot boxes and revise the ballots. That was allowed in 2010,” Brillantes explained.

But for the 2013 polls, the Comelec chief said the protestants are given the option to “waive the bringing here of the ballot boxes and the ballots for revision. The option for them is to allow the use of decrypted picture image of the ballots (in the compact flash cards).”

“They don’t have to spend for bringing the ballot boxes here and we revising the ballots. If they allow the decryption, we’re going to revise the picture image,” he added.

The resolution showed that in recounting the actual ballots, a protestant will have to pay a fee of P3,000 per contested precinct. 

The amount includes the compensation for the chairman of the recount committee (P1,000); recorder (P500); recount ballot box custodian (P480); supplies/materials (P400); storage (P85); overall supervisor (P100); warehouse ballot box custodian (P50); ECAD security personnel (4xP35=P140); drivers (2xP35=P70); organic security personnel (2xP35=P70); police personnel (2xP35=P70); and photocopying machine watchers (1xP35=P35).

Decrypting the CF cards, on the other hand, costs only P500 per CF card and this will be used to pay for the electricity (P100); computer and printer use (P50); and honoraria for the Comelec - Election Records and Statistics Department personnel (P350).