Partial proclamation of winning party-list groups expected today

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is expected to make a partial proclamation of winning party-list groups today.

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. announced this yesterday during canvassing as the poll body prepared a resolution on the proclamation of the winning groups.

However, Brillantes did not mention how the Comelec would compute the votes of the party-list, considering that the poll body had disqualified 12 of the 123 groups in the official ballots.

In an earlier interview, Comelec Commissioner Grace Padaca said the 12 groups had been complicating their computation.

But groups under the Makabayan coalition asked the poll body to speed up the proclamation “because any delay would open the possibility for fraud.”

Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares said if the Comelec was able to proclaim the first senators with only 72 certificates of canvass “amid question of legality, why can’t the Comelec push for the proclamation of winning party-list groups.”

“With more than 110 COCs (certificates of canvass) canvassed and more than 28,292,869 party-list votes counted, it is time for the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) to proclaim the winners in the party-list race. Delay only raises the possibility of fraud by losing party-list groups,” Colmenares said.

The Comelec, sitting as NBOC, has finished canvassing the COCs from polling precincts across the country. 

As of yesterday, it was canvassing the COCs from overseas absentee voting.

Anakbayan party-list Rep. Rafael Mariano said the delays in canvassing only defeats the purpose of automating the elections.

“The Automated Election System Law endeavors to determine the will of the people in an expeditious manner. What is the Comelec waiting for? The Commission should allay fears of vote shaving or padding by immediately proclaiming the clear winners in the party-list race,” he added.

The coalition is pushing for the proclamation of groups that are leading in the race.

To determine which groups will occupy the 58 seats in the House of Representatives, the Comelec must get the two percent of votes cast for the party-list system.

Under the formula, a House seat is given to an organization that gets the two percent.