New groups make it to party-list’s Top 10

LANDING in the Top 10 of the party-list electoral race on Tuesday were relatively new sectoral groups of big businessmen, rights advocates and lawyers, sidelining the old-timers in the party-list system.

Making a strong showing was newcomer 1Pacman (One Patriotic Coalition of Marginalized Nationals), a namesake of boxing icon Manny Pacquiao. It landed in third spot, with more than 1,262,767 million votes so far or 4.13 percent of the total number of votes cast on May 9.

As of 4:29 p.m. with 76.10 percent votes counted, Ako Bicol was No. 1 with 1,603,645 votes, followed by women’s rights group Gabriela, which garnered 1,314,035 votes, according to the Inquirer’s partial and unofficial tally using data from the Commission on Election’s transparency server.

Ako Bicol, which currently has two seats in the House of Representatives, listed incumbent Rep. Rodel Batocabe, lawyer Alfredo Garbin Jr., businessman and incumbent Rep. Christopher Co, Ronald Ang, Jason Rodenas and Nikko Batingana as its nominees for the 17th Congress.

1Pacman, which is seeking a  House seat for the first time to represent the country’s “marginalized and displaced sector,” listed businessman-sportsman Mikee Romero as its first nominee. Romero is an owner of the GlobalPort Batang Pier in the Philippine Basketball Association.

The group named Erick Pineda, who served as Pacquiao’s business manager, as its second nominee.

In fourth place was ACT Teachers, with 1,113,192 votes. Currently occupying one seat in the House, the group was fielding incumbent Rep. Antonio Tinio as its first nominee. Other nominees were Francisca Castro, Raymund Basilio, David San Juan and Gregorio Fabros.

Senior citizens, Kabayan

Senior Citizens was in fifth spot with 937,595 votes, followed by lawyer Harry Roque’s Kabayan party-list group, with 785,902 votes. Kabayan tried for the first time but failed to secure a seat in the 2013 elections.

Kabayan seeks to represent persons with disabilities, senior citizens, overseas Filipinos, fishermen, farmers and the poor. Aside from Roque, lawyer Ron Salo, Ciriaco Calalang, Paul Hernandez and Joshua Sebastian were named nominees of the group.

Salo was a subordinate of then Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita during the Arroyo administration. Calalang was penalized in 2013 by the Supreme Court, which ordered the revocation of his notarial commission for serving ghost clients.

Agri took the seventh spot with 781,937 votes. Following closely was Buhay, which received 739,278 votes and Pwersa ng Bayaning Atleta with 732,574 votes. In 10 place was Abono, with 690,967 votes.

Akbayan, Bayan Muna

Old-timers Akbayan and Bayan Muna, among the top party-list groups in previous elections, were in 13th and 14th places, respectively with 575,966 votes and 572,168 votes.

The votes accounted for 1.88 percent and 1.87 percent, respectively, of the more than 42.4 million votes counted as of 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

The National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) on Tuesday afternoon reconvened to start the canvassing of certificates of canvass (COCs) for the senatorial and party-list race that were electronically transmitted to the Comelec servers at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.

As of 6:30 p.m., the NBOC officially tabulated 29 COCs from San Juan City, Yangon, Prague, Buenos Aires, Vatican, Romblon, Lapu-Lapu City, Tarlac, Zambales, Singapore, Baguio City, Spain, Batangas, Cebu City, Biliran, Bahrain, Taguig-Pateros, Bacolod City, Camiguin, Lebanon, Korea, Sorsogon, Batanes, Qatar, Malabon, Las Piñas, North Cotabato, Navotas and Siquijor.