It’s now 8-1 for Team PNoy

LAST HURRAH Closing its grueling three-month campaign, the Team PNoy senatorial slate holds its “miting de avance” at Amoranto Stadium in Quezon City on Friday. With President Aquino are (from left): Bam Aquino, Antonio Trillanes IV, Sonny Angara, Aquilino Pimentel III, Grace Poe, Francis Escudero, Jamby Madrigal, Alan Peter Cayetano, Risa Hontiveros, Ramon Magsaysay Jr., Loren Legarda and Cynthia Villar. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines— It’s now 8-1 in favor of the Aquino administration’s Team PNoy after the Commission on Elections en banc sitting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) proclaimed three winning senatorial candidates running under the administration’s slate.

The canvassing board proclaimed Friday night Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and Antonio Trillanes IV as the duly elected senators.

Aside from the three, other allies of President Benigno Aquino III already proclaimed by the NBOC are Grace Poe, Loren Legarda, Alan Peter Cayetano, Francis Escudero and Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara.

With the 8 senators-elect allies of Aquino, the President is poised to have a strong grip of the Philippine Senate that is vital to shore up support for his efforts.

During the campaign, President Aquino has asked voters to put their confidence in the administration slate to help him carry out the rest of his reform agenda.

The midterm elections last Monday is seen as crucial for the Aquino administration’s bold reform agenda and a referendum on his efforts to transform a corrupt political system and an underperforming economy.

The NBOC has decided to again make a partial proclamation with 117 certificates of canvass counted out of 301. With the 117 COCs, there are a total of 35,990,336 voters who actually voted out of 52,695,140 registered voters.