Simultaneous canvassing, counting proposal junked

Opposition senators rejected last night the proposal of Senate President Franklin Drilon for a simultaneous opening of ballot boxes containing certificates of canvass and the actual tabulation of votes.

Sen. Loren Legarda, vice presidential running mate of movie actor Fernando Poe Jr., said the canvassing rules do not sanction Drilon’s simultaneous canvass idea.

Besides, she said, opening the ballot boxes and tabulating the votes at the same time would confuse lawmakers and the public watching the process on national television.

It would further slow the canvassing process, she said.

Drilon said Senate Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III had initially agreed to his proposal but that Sotto’s opposition colleagues rejected it.

"We would still desire to have a joint canvassing and opening, but if it would cause so much debate on the floor, my personal preference is that we just finish the opening before we start the actual canvass," he said.

As of 6 o’clock last night, lawmakers finished opening about 100 ballot boxes with 76 more to go.

Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. said they would try to finish opening the ballot boxes even if it would take them until this morning. — Jess Diaz