New president, VP likely to be named Wednesday

(Updated 8:17 pm) It is most likely the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) will name the new president and vice president of the Philippines this Wednesday, as the forensics analysis on the 60 Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines, requested by House Speaker Prospero Nograles, will not affect the canvassing of votes, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said Sunday. Enrile said in an interview on dzBB radio the canvassing will proceed as scheduled at 1 p. m. Monday, without waiting for the results of the investigation into the 60 PCOS machines found in Antipolo last month and transferred into custody of the Senate. "Hindi namin inutos yun. Hiningi lang ni Speaker yung forensic examination. Pinayagan na ata ng Comelec, eh. Wala nang kinalaman yun. That has no relevance to us," Enrile said, explaining that the investigation was meant to satisfy the curiosity of people who were suspicious that the machines were used to commit poll fraud during the country’s first nationwide automated elections on May 10. "It's all suspicion, there is no concrete evidence that there was widespread cheating that has affected the votes of any specific person," he emphasized, saying that if anyone has evidence, they should come out. "I cannot accept the opinion of anybody or the allegation of anybody without concrete, clear evidence to support the allegations," he said. “If I have my way we will finish the canvass early, call [for a] joint session, submit our report to the plenary, have it approved and then proceed to proclaim the winners," Nograles said in a text message to GMANews.TV. “The nation can’t wait any longer. The earlier the better," the Speaker said. If the technical working group will not finish their forensic analysis before the NBOC completes the canvassing, the results of the investigation "may be placed in a report that will become material in the process," according to the Senate President. [See: Experts begin forensic analysis of PCOS machine] The 60 PCOS machines were discovered on May 13 in the house of a Smartmatic-TIM technician in Antipolo City. [See Report: Some PCOS machines found in Antipolo have no CF cards] Smartmatic-Total Information Managment Corp. is the technology supplier contracted by the Commission on Election (Comelec) to supply the PCOS machines and other election paraphernalia for the May 10 polls. On Friday, information technology experts of the Senate and the House of Representatives did a forensics analysis on the first batch of six PCOS machines, but reporters were not allowed to witness the probe. [See: Primary CF cards found in PCOS machines from Antipolo] Data retrieved from the machines were found consistent with the election results in certain precincts in Antipolo, and some of the Compact Flash cards contained data for backup memory cards. "It's a fishing expedition, in a sense. I am not saying that they are not doing their jobs, pero it's all theory, it's all speculation, at the moment there’s no concrete evidence, that fraud was committed except those suspicions," he said, saying that even the flash cards found in Cagayan de Oro did not clearly show proof of fraud. "Andun na yung napulot na mga flash cards sa CDO, napatunayan na walang fraud na nangyari; andun yung kay Annie Susano, hanggang ngayon hindi naman masasabi kung anong nilalalaman nun; yung 60 PCOS machine na yan, it was made available to these experts, the Philippine Computer Society. Now I don't know what they have done with, them, anong nakita nila," he said. Congress as the NBOC cannot wait for those results, Enrile said in the interview. "As I defined our role from the very start, we are not a board of inquiry, we are a board of canvassers." Of 278 certificates of canvass, the Congress has been able to open 236 certificates as of 6 p.m. Thursday. Liberal Party standard bearer Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, the vice presidential bet of Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino, continued to lead the May 10 election returns. Aquino and Binay ruled in most provinces and cities canvassed on Thursday, including Batangas, Quezon City, Sulu, Muntinlupa, Pasay City, Makati City, Malabon City, Pampanga, San Juan, and Maguindanao. —VS/HS, GMANews.TV