LINGAYEN, Pangasinan -- The Provincial Board of Canvassers (PBOC) is set to transmit the total votes of Pangasinan to the National Board of Canvassers on Thursday as five municipalities of the province have yet to finish transmitting votes.
The municipalities of Mangaldan, San Fabian, Tayug, Bugallon, and Lingayen are the last batch of clustered precincts to be canvassed at the PBOC here, provincial election supervisor, lawyer Ericson Oganiza, said in an interview Wednesday.
“It is good that they already have the secure digital (SD) cards with them. They are going to feed it to the vote counting machines (VCMs) in their respective areas and then bring it here for transmission,” he said.
Oganiza noted that the delay in canvassing of votes was due to defective SD cards, which was brought to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) regional hub in San Fernando, La Union for replacement.
“The SD cards, before it will be replaced, needed configuration, which is done only in La Union with the approval of the national office,” he explained.
Oganiza attributed the low voting turnout in the province to the delay in the voting process, which was caused by malfunctioning VCMs and voters registration verification machines (VRVMs).
“Only seven to 10 towns and cities in the province (out of 48 towns and cities) have not encountered defective SD cards, but still, these towns and cities had problems with VCMs and/or VRVMs, except for Dagupan City,” he added.
Amid the delay in the final transmission of votes, some newly-elected officials were already proclaimed by the PBOC on Tuesday and Wednesday.
They are 1st District Rep. Arnold Celeste; 1st District Board Members Donabell Fontelera and Orange Humilde-Versoza; 5th District Rep. Ramon Guico III; 5th District Board Members Chinky Perez and Nicholi Jan Louie Sison; and 6th District Board Members Noel Bince and Salvador Perez Jr.
Some towns and cities have also proclaimed winners.
“Some of our election officers have made use of overwhelming lead or no more chance of recovering from the lead of opponent to proclaim winners. But the official proclamation is the document, which can only be printed upon completion of all vote transmission,” Oganiza further said.
Meanwhile, teachers who have finished serving as board of election inspectors can already receive their salary through the election officers in their respective town or city of assignment.
“They don’t have to use a cash card unlike in the previous elections. Now, there will be no defective cash cards as they can get their salary coursed through the election officers,” he said. (PNA)
