Senate ready to receive COCs, ERs Monday

Senate President Vicente Sotto III today said the Senate is ready to receive the Certificates of Canvass (COCs) and Election Returns (ERs) for President and Vice President after the closing of the election precincts on Monday, May 9, 2022.

The Senate is mandated, under Article VII, Section 4 of the Constitution, to receive the returns of every election for President and Vice-President, duly certified by the board of canvassers of each province or city.

The returns shall be transmitted to Congress. The Senate President shall receive the Certificates of Canvass and shall open all the certificates not later than 30 days after the day of the election in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives in a joint public session. Congress shall proceed to canvass the votes.

Senate Secretary Myra Marie Villarica said the Senate's reception of the COCs and ERs shall be livestreamed via the Senate's YouTube channel, starting from 6 pm on May 9, 2022.

"This is the first time we will broadcast live the arrival and deposit of all election documents for 24/7 in the Senate YouTube channel. We are taking this opportunity to advance our digital initiatives and ensure transparency of the entire activity. We have also tightened security, particularly where the ballot boxes of the COCs and the ERs will be stored. Aside from CCTV cameras located in strategic areas, we will also have roving cameras manned by personnel from the Public Relations and Information Bureau (PRIB)," Villarica said.

Villarica said only vehicles transporting the ballot boxes containing the COCs and ERs and other vehicles that may be authorized shall be allowed to enter the indoor parking area. Vehicles bearing the Office of the Sergeant-At-Arms (OSAA) car stickers will be allowed to park at the open parking area on a "first-come, first served" basis. A No ID, No Entry policy will be strictly implemented.

According to Villarica, a daily status report of all arriving COCs will be displayed in a LED Screen Display at the 2nd floor of the Senate building for public viewing. Media personalities may request for the status report from PRIB as early as 9 a.m.

She said health and safety protocols would be enforced during the reception of the COCs and ERs. A disinfection and sanitation area will be set-up outside the Senate building, she added.

"As per our health and safety standards, we will ask Commission on Elections (COMELEC) personnel to wait for their turn in bringing in the ballot boxes. Unlike in the previous elections when they can enter the Senate building at the same time, we have a holding area where they can wait for their turn before entering the lobby," Villarica said.

She said enclosures were installed at the Recto Room on the second floor of the Senate building for ballot boxes containing the COCs and in the basement for the ballot boxes containing the election returns.