Comelec sees proclamation of Senate, party-list winners this week

Updated @ 10:07 p.m., May 19, 2019

MANILA, Philippines — The proclamation of newly elected senators and party-list representatives may happen on Tuesday or Wednesday, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Comelec Director Frances Arabe made announcement in a press conference on Sunday as the poll body awaited the transmission of five more certificates of canvass (COCs) on Sunday.

Arabe said that no proclamation would be done on Monday given that five more COCs were yet to be transmitted.

These are from the province of Isabela here and from the Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Nigeria and from Washington, DC, in the United States.

She also noted that a final inspection would be conducted at the Philippine International Convention Center before a day before proclamation.

As of 7:20 p.m., the Comelec, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers, had so far canvassed 97 percent of COCs — or 162 of the 167 COCs — in the national elections.

Leading the senatorial race are re-electionist senators Cynthia Villar and Grace Poe.

READ: With 97% COCs tallied, Villar and Poe still leading Senate race

Arabe said Comelec still had “logistical concerns” regarding the proclamation of elected senators and party-list groups.

She also noted that it still would depend on whether or not the Comelec would use a partial tally of votes when formally announcing the new set of elected senators pending the incidents of the burning of vote counting machines in Isabela and Zamboanga.

“For the meantime, we are just preparing for the logistical concerns — whether the party-list winners will be known first or second, or if the senators will come first,” Arabe said.

“If it’s possible to make a partial proclamation, then we’ll make a partial proclamation first,” she added.

(Editor: Julie Espinosa and Alexander T. Magno)