LOWERING OF THRESHOLD for PROVISIONAL PROCLAMATION
(Updated 1:08 p.m.) The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has authorized its regional election
directors to lower the canvassing threshold to allow the proclamation of local candidates even if not all the
results have been transmitted and received.
At a press briefing Tuesday, poll chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said tension were building up in some areas
because the boards of canvassers (BOC) have refused to proclaim due to the issue on threshold.
In Resolution 9700 issued Tuesday, the Comelec en banc said regional election directors are authorized to
approve requests of board of canvassers (BOC) in their respective areas to lower the threshold to enable
the board to generate the certificate of canvass for proclamation and transmission of results to the next
level of canvassing.
In the past, the approval of the Comelec en banc is needed if the board of canvassers wanted to lower the
100 percent canvassing threshold if not all of the expected results are received. The BOC will be allowed if
the results will not affect the outcome of the election in a particular position.
Now, the regional election directors will be provided by the National Support Center with admin
username and corresponding password needed to lower the canvassing threshold and the instructions on
how to do it.
The resolution further states that the municipal, city, provincial, district and regional BOCs shall proclaim
the winning candidates on the basis of the last grouped canvass report generated by the consolidation
and canvassing system by manually preparing a Certificate of Canvass and Proclamation, even if not all
results are received.
Poll chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said they issued the resolution upon receiving a number of requests from
the BOCs to lower the threshold.
We have been receiving constant calls because of the clearance [needed from the en banc]. They make
the discretion based on their computation subject to annulment in case of doubt, he told reporters at a
press briefing.
He said "more than 50" requested for the lowering of the threshold, including Manila, Bacoor, Makati, Iloilo
and "several from south and north."
With the resolution, no clearance will be necessary from the Commission en banc, Brillantes said.
Amita Legaspi/KBK, GMA News -
THE PROCLAMATION of elected local candidates by local canvassers has been allowed by the
Commission on Elections (Comelec) even if not all votes have been counted as long as the
remaining votes will not adversely affect the total.
According to Comelec Resolution 9700 promulgated on Tuesday, municipal, city, provincial, district, and
regional boards of canvassers are allowed to proclaim winning candidates provided that the standing of
the candidates will not be affected by the results not yet transmitted to, and received by, the CCS
(canvassing and consolidation system).
Their proclamation, however, is subject to nullification if a losing candidate contests it, Comelec chair
Sixto S. Brillantes, Jr. said at a press conference on Tuesday.
Further, he said regional election directors are now allowed to approve requests made by local boards of
canvassers in their respective regions to lower the canvassing threshold to enable said boards to
generate the certificate of canvass for transmission to the next level of canvassing.
In the case of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), however, only Mr. Brillantes can
approve such requests.
The ARMM regional director, as per Comelec Resolution 9700-A, is required to submit to the National
Board of Canvassers (NBoC) a report of all requests granted for the lowering of the threshold indicating
therein the precincts involved, the total number of voters in the affected precincts, and whether or not the
results of the election will be affected by the lowering of the canvassing threshold.
As of press time, the canvassing of votes by the NBoC has not yet started because many local boards
have not yet transmitted their election results.-- Daryll Edisonn D. Saclag
