By Moira Encina
Eagle News Service
The Supreme Court, sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, will start the manual recount of ballots from the three pilot provinces covered by the electoral protest filed by former Senator Bongbong Marcos against Vice President Leni Robredo on Monday, April 2.
The PET made this announcement as they gave the media a tour on Tuesday of the SC Court of Appeals gymnasium, where the recount of 5418 ballots from Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental would be held starting 8:30 a.m. up to 12 noon, and from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. from Monday to Friday, except on holidays.
The gymnasium–which PET adhoc committee member Atty Ma. Carina Cunanan said was subjected to a renovation in August last year—so far already houses the more than 1000 ballots from Camarines Sur.
According to Cunanan, there were closed-circuit television cameras in the venues where the ballots would be housed, and in the parking lot.
Gadgets and cellphones will not be allowed inside the revision hall during the recount.
The media are also not allowed inside the venue, where the tables that will be used during the recount could already be seen.
Adhoc committee member Jose Lemuel Arenas said the recount would be done by 40 revision committees, with each revision panel composed of three members–one head revisor, a protestant’s revisor and a protestee’s revisor.
According to Cunanan, around 100 government security personnel will guard the Supreme Court while the recount was ongoing.
