MANILA, Philippines — Congress will ensure the “expeditious, transparent, and credible” count of votes and proclamation of president and vice president, House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco assured the public on Sunday.
The Senate and House are slated to conduct a joint public session this week to convene as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) as mandated by the Constitution.
READ: Senate, House adjourn session ahead of May 2022 polls
“The Congress, sitting as the NBOC, is duty-bound to make sure that the entire process of vote counting and transmission of results will be done expeditiously and with utmost transparency and integrity,” said Velasco in a statement.
“We will perform our constitutional duty quickly and efficiently. We will be combining accuracy and speed in order for us to meet our committed timeline,” he pledged.
Per agreement by the leaders of Congress’ chambers, through Velasco and Senate President Vicente Sotto III, the proclamation of the two highest elective posts in the country is on May 27.
READ: Congress sees proclamation of President, VP before June
Despite a pending disqualification case against presumptive president Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. before the Supreme Court, vote canvassing will commence.
READ: Another DQ case vs. Marcos Jr. now at SC
“Our duty to canvass is mandated by the Constitution itself,” Velasco emphasized. “Nothing therein says that this duty is suspended while a case, which has already been dismissed by the Commission on Elections, is pending with the Supreme Court.”
Both houses will resume separate sessions on May 23 to adopt a joint resolution convening Congress to a joint session and act as NBOC for president and vice president.
The Senate and House are expected to form a contingent to the joint panel that will do the actual count of votes beginning May 24.
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