OUTGOING Davao City Mayor and presumptive Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio will not be physically monitoring the canvassing of the votes for the presidential and vice presidential elections, the mayor's camp said.
In a forwarded statement to the media on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, Duterte-Carpio's spokesperson, Liloan, Cebu Mayor Christina Frasco said that the former's legal team from her Party, Lakas–Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) will be representing and monitoring the canvassing at the Batasang Pambansa plenary hall.
Frasco said the mayor is currently in her hometown attending several online meetings.
"Like the rest of the nation, she is hopeful that the canvassing by the House of Representatives and the Senate will go smoothly," the spokesperson said.
The National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) for the presidential and vice presidential elections, which is composed of members of the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Philippines, convened Tuesday morning for the start of the canvassing of votes.
In the partial and unofficial vote count of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), Marcos gained over 31 million votes, over 15 million votes ahead of his toughest contender, Vice President Leni Robredo. Duterte-Carpio is also leading based on the unofficial result with nearly 32 million votes.
Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said presumptive president Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his running mate, Duterte-Carpio, were asked to make themselves available on Wednesday, May 25, 2022.
Frasco, meanwhile, in a statement on Tuesday evening said that Duterte-Carpio had received information from the legal counsel of Lakas-CMD of a possible date for the proclamation.
The spokesperson said the mayor had earlier set a visit to the wake of a supporter in Antique who passed away. She also has meetings in Antique and Iloilo.
“She will endeavor to attend the proclamation and exert her best efforts to make it on time to Manila,” Frasco said.
Meanwhile, Duterte-Carpio recently announced that she will stage her oath taking for vice president in the city tentatively on June 19 at San Pedro Street. She said her inauguration was slated earlier so that she could personally witness the oathtaking of Marcos, which has still no definite date. (With reports from SunStar Philippines)