THE PROCLAMATION of winning candidates for local positions started at around 3 p.m. on Tuesday, March 13, which was supposedly conducted in the morning.
Reynante Solitario of the City Board of Canvassers told reporters after the proclamation that the delay was attributed to several failed transmissions of election returns.
“We were not able to conduct the canvassing on time because we waited for the other precincts’ transmission report,” Solitario said.
He added that ten clustered precincts have failed to transmit on time. These include the three clustered precincts from Gumitan and Pigalongan in Marilog District due to a heavy downpour on the evening of election day.
The downtown area has also experienced transmission delay due to a failure on the part of the electoral board.
“They wrongly thought they already transmitted, so we just let them submit their written report as to why they failed,” he said.
Solitario added that some electoral board chairpersons were able to transmit to the national servers, but could not confirm transmission to the server of the board of canvassers.
He said even the Starlink devices were not able to help with the internet connection, as it is dependent on the weather. Despite the delays from the transmission, he said it did not affect the integrity of the electoral process, especially the canvassing of votes.
Solitario stressed they cannot proceed with the canvassing and proclamation even when the votes have surpassed 75%, as it has been the practice of the city to wait until transmission is 100% complete.
“It has been the practice of the city to wait until transmission is done to prevent conflict with the political parties,” he added.
