THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC), has changed the rules governing the canvassing of votes for senators and party-list groups to speed up the process.
The NBOC and representatives of stakeholders have agreed to create a separate committee for the canvassing of votes for party-list groups, which starts work today, Wednesday, according to Comelec Commissioner George Erwin Garcia before the NBOC went on recess late Tuesday night.
Comelec acting spokesman John Rex Laudiangco also confirmed that even without the physical copy of the certificate of canvass (CoC), votes can be counted based on electronically transmitted results except in areas that have no transmission. In such a situation, the actual CoCs should be brought to the NBOC.
As of 7 p.m. on Tuesday, the NBOC was done tabulating the results from the provinces of Abra, Kalinga, Apayao, Mt. Province, Benguet and Ifugao and for the city of Malabon.
The NBOC, however, has yet to generate the printed copy of the canvassing results in these areas.
Garcia said they expect to finish the canvassing and proclamation of the winning senators and party-list groups within the week.
