Article 70p. 70

OMNIBUS ELECTION CODE ELECTION LAWS, RULES AND PROCEDURES

counted at a designated counting center where the

board shall transport the ballot box containing the ballots

and other election documents and paraphernalia.

For the purpose of the May 11, 1998 elections, the

chairman

of

the

Board

of

Election

Inspectors

shall

publicly

announce

that

the

votes

for

president,

vice-president,

senators and parties, organizations or

coalitions participating in the party-list system shall be

counted at a designated counting center. During the

transport of the ballot box containing the national ballots

and other documents, the fourth member of the board

shall be escorted by representatives from the Armed

Forces of the Philippines or from the Philippine National

Police, citizens' arm, and if available, representatives of

political parties and candidates. (15a) (as amended by RA

No 9369)

Section

20.

Notice

of

Designation

of Counting

Centers . — The election officer shall post prominently in

his/her office, in the bulletin boards at the city/municipal

hall

and

in

three

other

conspicuous

places

in

the

city/municipality, the notice on the designated counting

center(s) for at least three weeks prior to election day. The

notice

shall

specify

the

precincts

covered

by

each

counting center and the number of registered voters in

each of said precincts. The election officer shall also

furnish a copy of the notice to the headquarters or official

address of the political parties or independent candidates

within the same period. The election officer shall post in

the Commission website concerned the said notice and

publish the notice in the local newspaper. Where the

polling place or voting center is also the designated

counting center, such information shall be contained in

the notice.

The Commission may not designate as counting

center any building or facility located within the premises

of

a

camp,

reservation

compound,

headquarters,

detachment, or field office of the military, police, prison or

detention

bureau,

or

any

law

enforcement

or

investigation agency. (15a) (as amended by RA No 9369)

Section 21. Counting procedure . — The Commission

shall prescribe the manner and procedure of counting

the votes under the automated system: Provided , that

apart from the electronically stored result, thirty (30)

copies

of

the

election

return

are

printed. (16a) (as

amended by RA No 9369)

Section 22. Election returns . — Each copy of the of

the printed election returns shall bear appropriate control

marks to determine the time and place of printing. Each

copy

shall

be signed and thumbmarked by all the

members of the board of election inspectors and the

watchers present. If any member of the board of election

inspectors present refuses to sign, the chairman of the

board shall note the same copy in each copy of the

printed election returns. The member of the board of

election inspectors concerned refusing to sign shall be

compelled to explain his or her refusal to do so. Failure to

explain an unjustifiable refusal to sign each copy of the

printed election return by any member of the board of

election inspectors shall be punishable as provided in this

Act. The chairman of the boards shall then publicly read

and announce the total numbers of registered voters, the

total number of voters who actually voted and the total

numbers of votes obtained by each candidate based on

the election returns.

Thereafter, the copies of the election returns shall be

sealed and placed in the proper envelopes for distribution

as follows:

A.

In

the

election

of

president,

vice-president,

senators and party-list system;

1) The first copy shall be delivered to the city or

municipal board of canvassers;

2) The second copy, to the congress, directed to the

President of the Senate;

3) The third copy, to the commission;

4) The fourth copy, to the citizen's arm authorized by

the Commission to conduct an unofficial count

5) The fifth copy, to the dominant majority party as

determined by the Commission in accordance with law;

6) The six copy, to the dominant minority party as

determined by the Commission in accordance with law;

and

7) The seventh copy shall be deposited inside the

compartment of the ballot box for valid ballots.

8)

The

eight

copy

to

the

Provincial

Board

of

canvassers;

9) The ninth to the eighteenth copies, shall be given

to

the

ten

(10)

accredited

major

national

parties,

excluding the dominant majority and minority parties, in

accordance with a voluntary agreement among them. If

no such agreement is reached, the Commission shall

decide which parties shall receive the copies on the basis

of the criteria provided in Section 26 of Republic Act No.

7166;

10) The nineteenth and twentieth copies, to the two

accredited major local parties in accordance with a

voluntary agreement among them. If no such agreement

is reached, the commission shall decide which parties

shall receive the copies on the basis of criteria analogous

to that provided in Section 26 of Republic Act No. 7166;

11) The twenty-first to the twenty-fourth copies, to

national broadcast or print media entities as may be

equitably determined by the Commission in view of

propagating the copies to the widest extent possible;

12) The twenty-fifth and twenty-six copies, to local

broadcast or print media entities as may be equitably

determined by the Commission in view of propagating

the copies to the widest extent possible; and

13) The twenty-seventh to the thirtieth copies, to the

major citizen's arms, including the accredited citizen's

arm,

and other non-partisan groups or organization

enlisted by the Commission pursuant to Section 52(k) of

Batas Pambansa Blg. 881. Such citizens' arm, groups and

organization may use the four certified copies of election

returns for the conduct of citizens' quick counts at the

local or national levels;

B. In the election of local officials and members of the

House of Representatives:

1) The First copy shall be delivered to the city or

municipal board of canvassers;

2) The second copy, to the Commission;

3)

The

third

copy,

to

the

provincial

board

of

canvassers;

4) The fourth copy, to the citizens' arm authorized by

the Commission to conduct an unofficial count;

5) The fifth copy, to the dominant majority party as

determined by the Commission in accordance with law;

6) The sixth copy, to the dominant minority party as

determined by the Commission in accordance with law;

and

7) The seventh copy shall be deposited inside the

copy shall deposited inside the compartment of the

ballot box for valid ballots.

8) The eight copy to be posted conspicuously on a

wall within the premises of the polling place or counting

center;

9) The ninth to the eighteenth copies, shall be given

to

the

ten

(10)

accredited

major

national

parties,

excluding the dominant majority and minority parties, in

accordance with a voluntary agreement among them. If

no such agreement is reached, the Commission shall

decide which parties shall receive the copies on the basis

of the criteria provided in Section 26 of Republic Act No.

7166;

10) The nineteenth and twentieth copies shall be

given

to

the

two

accredited

major

local parties in

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