Detained pastor and senatorial candidate Apollo Quiboloy’s plea for a manual recount of votes is allowed if he files a protest and if a law is passed for the recount, the Commission on Elections said Thursday.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia said a manual recount can be a costly endeavor since it will involve the hiring of revisors to check the ballots plus the shipping of ballot boxes.

“Pwede namang magpa-recount ang isang hindi pinalad na kandidato basta magpa-file siya ng protesta. Kapag naproklama na ang isang kandidato for senator, pagkatapos nakapag-oath at nakapag-assume ng kanyang pwesto sa pagiging senador, mawawalan ng jurisdiction ang Comelec and therefore lahat ng issue concerning the election kahit ‘yung pagpapabilang ay pwede lamang i-file sa Senate Electoral Tribunal,” he said in a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview.

Garcia noted a manual recount would need additional legislation, which will include a budget plus the procedure for the manual recount if it would count the actual ballots or the images of the ballots or a combination.

Asked how much a recount would cost, he said it would depend on a number of things including the deposit per ballot box and honoraria for revisors.

“Per ballot box has a revision committee. If you are protesting, say, the votes in Basilan, all the ballot boxes in that area must be shipped to Manila before the electoral tribunal. The shipping would also entail cost,” he said.

Quiboloy, the televangelist founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ ministry, earlier called for a manual recount of votes after he placed 31st place in the latest Comelec tally with 5,577,812 votes.

“Given the widespread reports of discrepancies in election returns, inconsistent firmware versions, and overvoting issues, Pastor Apollo respectfully calls for a full manual recount of the senatorial votes," Quiboloy's legal counsel, Atty. Israelito Torreon, said.

The Comelec chief said the call for a manual recount will not stop the planned proclamation of winning senatorial candidates at the Manila Hotel this Saturday.

He noted that senatorial candidate Rodante Marcoleta’s plea for an earlier proclamation of the winning candidates would be considered moot and academic since the proclamation would be happening in a few days.

“Maganda kung sabay-sabay na lahat. 'Yung proklamasyon kailangan namin ng isang araw na paghahanda. 'Yung venue, inihahanda, may mga invitation na ipinapadala,” he said.

“Hapon ng Sabado, mga 3pm ang proklamasyon basta matapos namin ngayon ‘yung aming gagawing canvassing. Mas maganda kung sabay-sabay para isang event na lang," he added.

SOCE SUBMISSIONS

The Comelec chief, meanwhile, reminded candidates, including those who lost, to remove all campaign materials 5 days after the elections and to submit their statements of contributions and expenditures 30 days after the election.

Those who fail to submit their SOCEs risk a fine while those who fail to submit a “full, true and itemized” statement could face charges for perjury.

“Pwedeng makasuhan ng violation of the SOCE Law at perjury dahil nagsinungaling. Perpetual disqualification to hold public office kapag hindi nakapag-submit ng 2 beses,” he said.

Winners of the party-list election will be proclaimed next Monday, May 19. A total of 63 party-list seats can be won in the party-list election.