Comelec to revise rules on electoral protest

MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is revising the rules of procedure on electoral protests, allowing ballot images to be used as evidence instead of the actual ballots.

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said this will be in a forthcoming resolution, and it will save protesters some expenses.

Brillantes refers to the ballot images captured by the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines and stored on the CF cards in the PCOS machines.

The ballot images can be reprinted and used in the recount and revision of ballots.

The Comelec has jurisdiction over electoral protests concerning local positions except for congressman.

Electoral protests for congressional positions go to the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal while senatorial electoral protests go to the Senate Electoral Tribunal.