The Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc convenes as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) on Monday, May 9, 2022, for senatorial and party-list positions for the 2022 polls. Photo from Comelec Facebook page
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec), sitting as the National Board of Canvassers, may proclaim the winners in this year’s party-list election “if not tomorrow (Thursday), the latest is Friday.”
This was according to Comelec Commissioner George Garcia as the NBOC resumed Wednesday the canvassing of votes for party-list groups at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City. Party-list groups are set to occupy 63 seats in the House of Representatives.
Garcia said proclamation of triumphant party-list groups will be made despite the pending resolution of petitions, which the poll body official did not elaborate.
“Yung tinatanong nila kailan tayo magpo-proclaim? We will have to resolve pa, napakarami po kasing nag-file na mga petition, we will have to resolve several issues,” Garcia said in a press briefing at the PICC on Wednesday.
(For those who are asking when could we proclaim? We will have to resolve it, there are so many petitions filed, we will have to resolve several issues.)
READ: Comelec: Canvassing of votes for party-list groups to resume May 25
“So hopefully kung hindi man bukas, ang latest pa is Friday. Siyempre aayusin na naman ang venue natin, magpapadala kami ng mga invitation sa lahat ng party-lists, and syempre ‘yung program natin aayusin pa din,” the Commissioner added.
(So hopefully, if not tomorrow, the latest is Friday. We would have to arrange the venue, bring invitations to all party lists, and of course, we have to arrange the program.)
Garcia assured that the canvassing of votes for party-list groups will be finished on Wednesday.
The proclamation of winning party-list groups was put on hold since the Comelec needed to wait for the results of the special elections in the 12 barangays of Tubaran town in Lanao del Sur – a town with around 7,000 registered voters, which turnout may reach up to 70 percent. Special elections were held in Tubaran on Tuesday.
“Hopefully, dahil maipapadala na po sa atin, maca-canvass natin mamaya ang buong Lanao Del Sur, hopefully, po maayos na at makita na kung may effect yan sa number 63, number 64 and number 62 sa ranking ng mga party-list at maayos na din po tayo,” Garcia said.
(Hopefully, because the results will be brought to us later, we could canvass the entire Lanao del Sur, and settle this to see if their votes will have an effect on the ranking 63, 64, and 62 of the party lists.)