‘CEC will definitely certify runoff results today’

The Commonwealth Election Commission board will hold a meeting today, Friday, at the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe, where the commissioners are expected to certify the results of the Nov. 25 gubernatorial runoff election. The multi-purpose center will also be the inauguration site for governor-elect Arnold I. Palacios and lieutenant governor-elect David M. Apatang on Jan. 9, 2023. (FERDIE DE LA TORRE)

The Commonwealth Election Commission board will definitely certify the gubernatorial runoff election results today, Friday, because five commissioners have confirmed their attendance at a scheduled meeting, and therefore there will be a quorum, according to CEC executive director Kayla S. Igitol yesterday.

In response to Saipan Tribune’s inquiry, Igitol said that commissioner Jesus S. Cepeda, who has a scheduled meeting yesterday and today, confirmed that he will attend the CEC board meeting at the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe today at 1pm.

The CEC board meeting was originally set for yesterday, but CEC board chair Jesus I. Sablan rescheduled it to today because of Cepeda’s other meeting.

Cepeda is a police lieutenant at the Department of Public Safety.

The four other commissioners who also confirmed their attendance at today’s meeting are Jesus I. Sablan, John Diego Attao, Jonathan Christopher A. Manglona, and Lelanie I. Manglona.

Five commissioners are needed to establish a quorum. There are nine commissioner positions, but at present, there are only seven commissioners.

Igitol said yesterday that commissioner Esther A. Yatar is currently in Guam for a death in the family, while commissioner Dorisann Aldan-Atalig is presently in the Philippines for medical purposes.

With Cepeda confirming his attendance in today’s meeting, there will be quorum even without a new commissioner joining the board, Igitol said.

Before certifying the runoff election results, the panel of tabulators, which is composed of CEC commissioners, will count the 78 absentee votes that were previously set aside after being challenged, Igitol said.

Before counting the votes, she said, they need to match the affidavits to the actual requests for absentee ballots.

At the confirmation hearing for Gov. Ralph DLG Torres’ appointment of former special assistant for Women’s Affairs Remedio Sablan before the Senate Committee on Executive Appointments and Government Investigations Wednesday, Sablan said that, although he reset the board meeting to today, he is still worried that they won’t be able to have a quorum. He urged the committee to immediately confirm the 71-year-old Remedio Sablan so she could join the meeting and the board can certify the runoff election results. The Senate has yet to confirm Remedio Sablan as of yesterday.

Last Monday, Juan S. Reyes, who is the overall chairman of the transition and inauguration committees, stated that the CEC board’s non-certification of the runoff election results is hampering their movement.