Comelec defers action on Marcos’s call for poll system audit

MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc on Wednesday unanimously voted to postpone action on vice presidential candidate Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s request to conduct a system audit on servers used in the May 9 polls.

Poll body chief Juan Andres “Andy” Bautista said that the Comelec decided on the matter last Tuesday.

Bautista added that the Comelec en banc considered the 16th Congress scheduled canvassing of votes for president and vice president on Wednesday in its decision. He said the poll body will rule on Marcos’s request after the Congress, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers, finishes its canvass of votes and until criminal cases are resolved.

He said, however, that the poll body is still welcoming system audits by information technology practitioners preferably from the Department of Science and Technology and the Technical Evaluation Committee.

On May 18, Marcos asked Comelec to allow his team to conduct an audit on the servers used in the May 9 polls. His closest rival, Camarines Sur Rep. Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo earlier expressed support to his request, saying it will be help erase doubts on the outcome of the elections.