Comelec official assures Cebu of enough ballot boxes in May

There will be enough ballot boxes in Cebu for the coming polls, according to Commissioner Resurreccion Borra of the Commission on Elections.

The commissioner's assurance came after reports that the Comelec regional officer here was reported to have asked its central office for new ballot boxes for Cebu for the coming elections to replace those that are still at the Presidential Electoral Tribunal for a recount petition.

A total of 10,721 metal ballot boxes from Cebu were shipped to Manila in the last quarter of 2005 as part of the recount petition of defeated 2004 vice presidential candidate Loren Legarda against Vice President Noli de Castro.

Borra yesterday said that these ballot boxes have been deposited with the Presidential Electoral Tribunal and they already have a request that these should be returned back to Comelec if these are no longer used in the protest.

"We are awaiting for the answer of the PET, but we assure you that we have ordered additional ballot boxes just in case the Presidential and Vice Presidential protests in the PET will not be resolved in due time, we will be ready so that sufficient ballot boxes will be used in Region 7," Borra assured saying the ballot boxes will be in Cebu "soon enough that they will be utilized on election day."

Since the ballot boxes were shipped to Manila, Cebu does not have a single ballot box.

Cebu province was one of 34 provinces whose election results were challenged by Legarda. She was confident Cebu would be the decisive factor in determining who actually won in the 2004 polls presidential and vice presidential race.

The same number of ballot boxes would be needed in Cebu based on the last 2004 elections. - Gregg M. Rubio/MEEV