Enrile blocks confirmation on 2013 elections issue

Senator Juan Ponce Enrile (Photo from Enrile’s Facebook page)

MANILA – Upon his return to the Senate, Senator Juan Ponce Enrile asked for the deferment of Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chair Andres Bautista and Commissioner Sheriff Abas’ confirmation regarding the questioned results of the May 2013 elections.

Enrile first asked that Bautista submit a written report on Comelec’s alleged failed transmission of about 12 million votes from 18,486 precincts during the 2013 national elections.

“I would like to know if the Comelec did any disposition of this report and why it was not published to the public at [the] time,” he said.

Bautista, disappointed with Enrile’s move, then assured that he would submit the requested information. But when asked if he deemed it unfair for the senator to make such a move, he only responded with a smile.

“I feel disappointed but I know this is part of the process of confirmation… but the work continues to ensure credible elections in 2016,” he said in a press briefing.

Bautista also blamed the missing votes to the failed electronic transmission of poll results.

“If you will remember in 2013 the rate of transmission was 77 percent, which was below the rate of transmission in 2010. The explanation given was, ‘Yes, it was 77 but the other results were manually uploaded.’ I think that is contained in the report. We admit that there were deficiencies during the 2010 and 2013 polls, that’s why we’re looking for ways to address these problems,” he added