PET retrieves Iloilo ballot boxes for VP votes recount

ILOILO City – A team from the Supreme Court acting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) has started retrieving ballot boxes from this city and province for the recount of votes cast for Vice President during the 2016 election.

Yesterday, the PET retrieval team secured ballot boxes from Iloilo province’s 1st District made up of the municipalities of Oton, Tigbauan, Guimbal, Tubungan, Igbaras, Miag-ao, and San Joaquin.

The ballot boxes were brought to the Philippine Span Asia Containers, Inc. in Barangay Balabago, Jaro district for temporary safekeeping before these are brought to the Supreme Court.

The legal team of Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo led by Atty. Emilio Marañon observed the retrieval of the ballot boxes.

Robredo got 573,829 votes as against the 94,411 votes for former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in Iloilo.

The national result showed Robredo defeating Marcos. She got 14,418,817 votes – 263,473 votes higher than Marcos’ 14,155,344 votes.

Today, May 22, the PET team will be retrieving ballot boxes from this city and Iloilo province’s 2nd District made up of the towns of Leganes, Pavia, Zarraga, New Lucena, Santa Barbara, San Miguel, Alimodian, and Leon.

According to Marañon, they would be seeking clarification regarding the inclusion of Iloilo City ballot boxes in the retrieval.

“In the three pilot areas for recount, Marcos made mention of Iloilo province but not Iloilo City. Iloilo City is not a part of Iloilo province,” said Marañon.

The two other pilot areas for recount are Camarines Sur and Negros Oriental.

Tomorrow, May 23, the team will secure ballot boxes from Iloilo’s 3rd district made up of the municipalities of Cabatuan, Mina, Pototan, Maasin, Janiuay, Badiangan, Lambunao, Calinog, and Bingawan.

On May 24, the PET team will get ballot boxes from Iloilo’s 4th District composed of the component city of Passi and the towns of Anilao, Banate, Barotac Nuevo, Dingle, Dueñas, Dumangas, and San Enrique.

On Friday, May 25, the team will secure ballot boxes from the 5th District towns of Barotac Viejo, San Rafael, Lemery, Ajuy, Sara, Concepcion, San Dionisio, Batad, Balasan, Estancia, and Carles.

Ang recount for Iloilo will happen after matapos ‘yung Camarines Sur recount. I think out of 1,800 (clustered precincts) of CamSur 800 na ang na-recount,” said Marañon.

He expressed confidence that the recount’s result would be similar to the vote count during the 2016 election.

Marcos’ election protest covered 22 provinces and five cities.

He selected as pilot provinces for recount Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental which covered a total of 5,418 clustered precincts. The results of the revision of the pilot provinces shall determine whether the election protest would proceed with the remaining 31,047 protested clustered precincts./PN

 

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