Comelec to proclaim 10 winners tomorrow

After several postponements, 10 of the 12 winners of a seat in the Senate will finally be known this week, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said yesterday.

Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos said they would attempt to finish counting all votes from six provinces in Mindanao to be able to proclaim the 10 winners at the Philippine International Convention Center on June 6 at 7 p.m.

“Finally, what all of you have been waiting for would take place on Wednesday,” Abalos said in a press briefing.

Based on a preliminary count, eight opposition candidates are dominating the 12 Senate seats at stake in the elections.

Two administration candidates and two independents were also winning in the unofficial tallies.

To be proclaimed are former senator Loren Legarda (GO), Rep. Francis Escudero (GO), re-electionist Senators Panfilo Lacson (GO), Manuel Villar (GO), and Francis Pangilinan (Ind); Rep. Benigno Aquino III (GO), Sen. Edgardo Angara (TU), Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano (GO), re-electionist Sen. Joker Arroyo (TU) and former senator Gregorio Honasan (Independent). 

The poll body chief said that they cannot yet proclaim the winners for the 11th and 12th slots as there are 1.4 million votes from four Mindanao provinces that are yet to be canvassed and that the results could still affect the ranking of the candidates at No. 11 to No. 13.

“We are also expecting the certificates of canvass from the provinces of Lanao del Sur and Surigao del Norte. We might even be able to proclaim the 11th after the two COCs have been canvassed,” he said.

He said that they would also determine if the votes from the two provinces would still affect the results for the last three slots.

“Votes numbering 1.4 million is still a lot to reckon with, considering that the difference between the 11th to 13th place is only about 400,000 votes,” he said as the canvassing closed at 4 p.m. yesterday.

The NBC is still waiting for the results from the provinces of Surigao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Basilan and Maguindanao to be canvassed.

Opposition legal counsel Sixto Brillantes said that having a partial proclamation would make the proceedings less complicated and would help ease the tension among the candidates.

“GO would be very happy with the results of this elections,” Brillantes said.

He also said that in case former Navy Lt. senior grade Antonio Trillanes IV would be proclaimed, they would ask the court for the opposition candidate’s temporary liberty for him to be able to attend the rites.

Abalos said that they would not proclaim the winning party-list groups because they would have to determine the final results of the canvassing.

The only group which would be allowed to have three seats is the one with the most votes.