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Thursday, June 10, 2004
Poe overtakes Arroyo; 55 COCs canvassed
MANILA -- Presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr. of the opposition Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP) is now leading in the joint congressional committee's tally Wednesday of votes cast for president and vice president in the May 10 elections.
As of 7:15 p.m., partial and official results of the canvassing by the joint congressional committee showed Poe getting 173,734 votes as against President Arroyo's 161,595 votes.
Also on Wednesday, a clash occurred between members of the anti-riot police and Poe's supporters who were on their way to the Quezon City Memorial Circle from the UP Diliman compound to hold a prayer rally.
The anti-riot team forcibly dispersed the rallyists. No one was hurt in the encounter. A member of the anti-riot team said they were implementing the "no permit, no rally" policy.
At the House session hall, the joint congressional committee was able to go through 25 certificates of canvass on Wednesday. This brings to 55 the total number of COCs canvassed since the committee started tabulating on Friday night votes cast in the presidential and vice presidential elections.
In the same tally, Sen. Panfilo Lacson is in third place with 42,522, followed Bro. Eddie Villanueva with 29,356, and former senator Raul Roco with 22,587.
Poe's running mate Sen. Loren Legarda, with 215,154 votes, was ahead of fellow broadcast journalist and lawmaker Noli de Castro, who got 184,366 votes, in the vice presidential race.
Former Tarlac congressman Hermie Aquino is in third place with 9,145 votes while Rodolfo Pajo is in fourth place with 568 votes.
Among the votes tallied Wednesday were those reflected in the certificates of canvass in absentee voting in 20 foreign countries and in the elections in the provinces of Marinduque, Quirino, Biliran, Batanes and Camiguin.
Reference documents
During the canvassing, Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr. asked that opposition be allowed to question 15 COCs so there would no longer be any delay in the canvassing.
Pimentel urged the joint committee to reconsider his proposal for the opposition to concentrate on the examination of COCs from 15 provinces by looking at municipal-level Statement of Votes (SOVs) and precinct-level Election Returns (ERs).
Doing so would expedite the canvassing of votes for president and vice president and enhance the transparency, truthfulness and credibility of the process, he added.
"I hope the majority will listen to the position of the minority so that the truth and the will of the people will prevail. Besides, we believe that the correct process is to refer to the source documents and if we do this, the canvassing will move at a faster pace," he added.
He warned that unless Congress allows SOVs and ERs from Lanao de Sur to be opened, allegations of massive election fraud will not be addressed.
However, Arroyo's campaign spokesman Michael Defensor urged majority lawmakers in Congress not to allow the minority to hold up the tally too long through seemingly endless questioning.
Defensor said although it is clear that Congressional leaders are allowing the minority to exhaust all its questions on the COCs, the people want the counting to start.
Deputy presidential spokesman Ricardo Saludo said the Supreme Court (SC) decision on the composition of the 22-member canvassing committee should speed up the count.
The SC earlier voted 14-0 to reject a suit filed by opposition Rep. Ruy Elias Lopez of Davao City questioning the canvassing rules adopted by Congress. The rules provided for the creation of a 22-member joint canvassing committee.
Smooth, speedy canvass
Presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye agreed with Saludo that the SC ruling "leaves the opposition with no other option but to abide by a smooth and speedy canvass."
"The opposition must stop holding the Filipino people and the Constitution hostage to the self-serving interests of a few. It is time to move on and heed the voice of the people," Bunye said.
Bunye also said the destabilization plots against government have been squelched "but there are residual rumors that must still be dealt with."
"The vigilance of the police and the military will be unrelenting. Security measures are in place and have the full support of the public. There is need for calm and sobriety even in the midst of visible deployment of law enforcers," he said.
One of such measures went into effect Wednesday when police and military agents dispersed followers of KNP's Poe who were on their way to the Quezon Memorial Circle to stage a rally.
Poe's supporters converged again at the Quezon Memorial Circle to stage a prayer-vigil. They said General Manager Charito Planas had given them permission to stay there until 11 p.m.
National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Chief Ricardo de Leon said no group had permit to stage a rally anywhere in Quezon City but since it was the management of Quezon Memorial Circle that authorized them, he will let Planas take care of it.
De Leon said policemen will be around to ensure that prayer-vigil will be conducted peacefully and orderly.
Acting Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista, for his part, said he did not issue a permit to the FPJ rallyists but he would allow them to converge at the Quezon Memorial Circle for a prayer-vigil and not a protest rally. Bautista is acting mayor of Quezon City while Mayor Feliciano Belmonte is out of the country.
Bautista said he would allow the protesters to stay at the park until 11 p.m. If they go beyond the time, he would order the policemen and soldiers to disperse them. (JFF/JMR/JPM)
(June 10, 2004 issue)
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