In an en banc resolution, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has declared as "official" the rankings of 13 senators proclaimed last June 5.
The following is the final tally of the Comelec, which had sat as National Board of Canvassers (NBC) of the May 14 senatorial and local elections:
Noli de Castro, 16,237, 386; Juan Flavier, 11,735,897; Sergio Osmeña III, 11,593,389; Franklin Drilon, 11,301,700; Joker Arroyo, 11,262,402; Ramon Magsaysay Jr., 11,250,677; Manuel Villar Jr., 11,187,375; Francis Pangilinan, 10,971896; Edgardo Angara, 10,805,177; Panfilo Lacson, 10, 535,559; Loi Estrada, 10,524,130; Ralph Recto, 10,498,940; and Gregorio Honasan, 10,454,527.
The resolution was promulgated on July 20, a day after the Comelec held an en banc meeting to hear five NBC cases and determine the final rankings of the proclaimed senators, specifically the last two slots.
In the resolution, the poll body said the 13 senators were proclaimed on June 5, and by law and jurisprudence, "the jurisdiction of the Comelec over the election ends upon the proclamation of winners."
Two of the petitions were based on alleged statistical improbability, which should be properly determined in an election protest. The Comelec said it has lost jurisdiction in the other cases, "which should therefore be dismissed."
Chairman Alfredo Benipayo and Commissioners Resurreccion Borra and Florentino Tuason affirmed the resolution.
Dissenting opinions were expressed by Commissioners Luzviminda Tancangco and Rufino Javier. Two other commissioners were absent.
Tancangco said the resolution was hurriedly done.
"It did not even have time to check the figures in terms of provincial breakdowns. I had requested for breakdowns so that we could check whether the claims of Atty. Rufus Rodriguez were true or not," she said.
Rodriguez is the lawyer of opposition candidate Luisa Ejercito, who had questioned the proclamation of Recto as 12th placer due to questionable figures.
Tancangco had suggested that the Comelec check the transposition of the figures from the certificates of canvass (COCs) at the municipal level to the statement of votes (SOVs).