Tinga urges Comelec to retrieve ballots in Taguig

MANILA, Philippines - Former Supreme Court Justice Dante Tinga asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday to retrieve the ballots that are the subject of his election protest against Taguig Mayor Laarni Cayetano.

“Even if they failed last time, why didn’t they try to serve it on the succeeding days?” Tinga said in a statement.

Last Feb. 15, the poll body set a four-day schedule for the retrieval of ballot boxes but the scheduled lapsed on Feb. 23 with Comelec empty-handed.

Comelec officials said they tried to retrieve the ballot boxes but backed out after learning that roadblocks had been set up on the streets leading to the Taguig City hall. 

Tinga has filed a motion to cite Cayetano for contempt, while the mayor’s camp asked the Comelec to explain the purpose of the ballot retrieval, whether “the ballot boxes will be used for recount or revision, because these are two different things.”

Cayetano also asked the Comelec to conduct an “inventory” of the compact flash cards. Her camp said that based on the Comelec’s rules of procedure, these cards will be used as basis for the recount.