Section 20January 23, 2007, Sec./Art. 20

Section 21 of Republic Act No. 8436 is hereby amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 25. Canvassing by Provincial, City, District and Municipal Boards of Canvassers. - The City or Municipal board of canvassers shall canvass the votes for the president, vice-president, senators, and parties, organization or coalitions participating under the party-list system by consolidating the electronically transmitted results contained in the data storage devices used in the printing of the election returns. Upon completion of the canvass, it shall print the certificate of canvass of votes for president, vice-president, senators and members of the House of Representatives and elective provincial officials and thereafter, proclaim the elected city or municipal officials, as the case may be.

"The city board of canvassers of cities comprising one or more legislative districts shall canvass the votes for president, vice-president, senators, members of the House Representatives and elective city officials by consolidating the certificates of canvass electronically transmitted or the results contained in the data storage devices used in the printing of the election returns. Upon completion of the canvass, the board shall procedure the canvass of votes for president, vice-president, and senators thereafter, proclaim the elected members of the House of Representatives and city officials.

"In the Metro Manila area, each municipality comprising a legislative district shall have a district board of canvassers which shall canvass the votes for president, vice-president, senators, members of the House of Representatives and elective municipal officials by consolidating the electronically transmitted results or the results contained in the data storage devices used in the printing of the election returns. Upon completion of the canvass, it shall produce the certificate of canvass of votes for president, vice-president, and senators and thereafter, proclaim the elected members of the House Representatives and municipal officials.

"Each component municipality in a legislative district in the Metro Manila area shall have a municipal board of canvassers which shall canvass the votes for president, vice-president, senators, members of the house of Representatives and elective municipal officials by consolidating the results electronically transmitted from the counting centers or the results contained in the data storage devices used in the printing of the election returns. Upon completion of the canvass, it shall prepare the certificate of canvass of votes for president, vice-president, senators, members of the House of Representatives and thereafter, proclaim the elected municipal officials.

"The district board of canvassers of each legislative district comprising two municipalities in the Metro Manila area shall canvass the votes for president, vice-president, senators and members of the House of Representatives by consolidating the certificates of canvass electronically transmitted from the city/municipal consolidating centers or the results contained in the data storage devices submitted by the municipal board of canvassers of the component municipalities. Upon completion of the canvass. It shall produce a certificate of the canvass votes for president, vice-president, senators and thereafter, proclaim the elected members of the House of Representatives in the legislative district.

"The district/provincial board of canvassers shall canvass the votes for president, vice-president, senators, members of the House of Representatives and elective provincial officials by consolidating the results electronically transmitted from the city/municipal consolidating centers or the results contained in the data storage devices submitted by the board of canvassers of the municipalities and component cities. Upon completion of the canvass, it shall produce the certificates of canvass votes for president, vice-president and senators and thereafter, proclaim the elected members of the House of Representatives and the provincial official.

"The municipal, city, district and provincial certificates of canvass of votes shall each be supported by a statement of votes.

"Within one hour after the canvassing, the Chairman of the district or provincial Board of Canvassers or the city board of canvassers of those cities which comprise one or more legislative districts shall electronically transmit the certificate of canvass to the commission sitting as the national board of canvassers for senators and party-list representatives and to the Congress as the National Board of Canvassers for the president and vice president, directed to the President of the Senate.

"The Commission shall adopt adequate and effective measures to preserve the integrity of the certificates of canvass transmitted electronically and the results in the storage devices at the various levels of the boards of canvassers.

"The certificates of canvass transmitted electronically and digitally signed shall be considered as official election results and shall be used as the basis for the proclamation of a winning candidate."