Comelec Manila orders opening of ballot boxes from Calbayog

By GINA SUELLO-SORILO
August 17, 2007

CALBAYOG CITY, Samar – The Commission on Elections Second Division started to open Monday (August 13) the contested ballot boxes which were transferred from Calbayog to Manila last August 2.

The transfer of 490 ballot boxes representing votes from 157 barangays of the city was the Comelec’s response to the protest filed by mayoral candidate ex-congressman Rodolfo Tuazon against incumbent mayor Mel Senen Sarmiento according to the city Comelec Officer Salvador Cruz.

The ballot boxes at the Comelec warehouse in Manila. In photo is Calbayog city Comelec officer Salvador Cruz (left) and petitioner Rodolfo Tuazon (center).

Cruz said that Tuazon protested against the alleged election fraud in the last May 14 local elections.

The Comelec order under Election Protest Case (EPC) No. 2007-32 directs the five Revision Committees which constitutes the Commission’s Second Division to “commence the revision of ballot boxes on August 13 from 8am to 6pm Mondays through Saturdays and shall continue everyday thereafter until terminated.”

The order also notifies the parties that “ballot boxes which are to be revised on each day of revision will be transported from the Maxilite Building, the Comelec’s warehouse in Paco, Manila to the Comelec main office in Intramuros, Manila and to be returned thereafter at the end of the day to the Maxilite Building.”

Maxilite Building in Paco, Manila is the Comelec warehouse where the ballot boxes are stored with watchers from both parties aside from the security personnel posted.

“Magkukulang kita sin ballot boxes nga gagamiton sa tiarabot nga barangay election pero tungod harayo pa man, kaya iton ayuson san aton commission,” Cruz told reporters during the inventory in Calbayog last August 1.