53 of 58 party-list seats now filled up

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday announced the winners of 53 out of the 58 seats at stake in the House of Representatives in the May 13 party-list balloting.

In a three-page resolution, the Comelec proclaimed 24 new winning party-list groups, bringing the total to 38, and announced the distribution of the 53 party-list seats.

The remaining five winners will be announced once the estimated 36,000 uncanvassed votes from a special election in five precincts in Lanao del Norte province and other precincts are finally tallied later this week, said Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr.

“We’re just making sure that we will not be proclaiming any party list that will still be affected by the remaining votes uncanvassed,” he said.

Buhay, which got 1,265,992 of the 26,722,131 party-list votes canvassed, got three House seats. Its three nominees include former Manila Mayor Lito Atienza.

Securing two seats each were A-Teacher, Bayan Muna, 1-Care, Akbayan, Abono, AKB (Ako Bicol), OFW Family, Gabriela, Coop-Natcco, Agap, Cibac, Magdalo and An Waray.

Abamin, Act Teachers, Butil, Amin, ACT-CIS, Kalinga, LPGMA, TUCP, Yacap, Agri, Angkla, ABS, Diwa, Kabataan, Anakpawis, Alay Buhay, Aambis-Owa, 1-Sagip, Ave, Atong Koop, 1-BAP, Abakada, Ama, and Ang Nars snagged one seat each.

The Comelec said that it did not include in its tabulation the 1,809,653 votes that 12 disqualified party-list groups received. It said these votes would be considered “stray.”

One of the groups disqualified was Senior Citizens, which got 677,642 votes and, according to Brillantes, would have secured two seats if it was not disqualified. Senior Citizens and three other disqualified party-list groups have appealed the Comelec decision to the Supreme Court.

“We will follow whatever the Supreme Court says,” Brillantes said. “You can be assured that we will not wait until June 30 to finish.”