Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has yet to proclaim the winning party-list groups Thursday after Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. announced they would issue a resolution on the proclamation of winners Friday.
Brillantes announced to the party-list groups in a hearing that “we will come out with a resolution this (Thursday) afternoon, tonight or tomorrow (Saturday) morning.”
He however said they will not announce how many seats would be won by the winning partylists.
In a separate televised interview, Brillantes said they will likely proclaim the partylists who have won guaranteed seats Friday and, by Monday next week, proclaim the winners for all 58 seats.
“[We can proclaim those who have won] at least one guaranteed seat, so we can proclaim partially,” Brillantes said.
“And then we have the weekend to make all the final computations, after which, by Monday most probably, we’ll finish the entire 58,” he said.
The Makabayan Coalition Party issued a statement Thursday urging Comelec to proclaim the winning partylists already as delays “raise the possibility of fraud.”
Bayan Muna Representative Neri Colmenares said in the statement: “Comelec proclaimed the first six senators with only 72 certificates of canvass received, amid questions of legality. Why isn’t Comelec pushing for the proclamation of winning party-list groups?”
“The delay only raises the possibility of fraud by losing party-list groups,” he said.