Next president, VP proclaimed next week

MANILA, Philippines - Congress aims to proclaim the country’s new president and vice president by the end of the month or on June 1, Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III said as the canvassing of votes for the top two positions of the land entered its second day yesterday.

Pimentel, who heads the Senate contingent in the joint canvassing committee, issued the statement as lawyers of incoming president Rodrigo Duterte pressed for his immediate proclamation, ahead of the vice president, saying the winner in the presidential elections is “obvious at this stage.”

“Maybe we will have a Tuesday or Wednesday proclamation,” Pimentel told reporters, noting the canvassing appears to be moving smoother than expected.

The Senate and the House of Representatives convened on Tuesday as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC), after which it approved its rules of canvassing and designated the members of the joint committee, eight from each chamber with five alternates.

The joint committee conducted actual opening of the ballot boxes and reading of the certificates of canvass (COCs).

The NBOC has to record all 165 COCs from all over the country and from the local and overseas absentee voting.

As of 7 p.m., the NBOC had canvassed 80 COCs, and deferred those from Iloilo, Antique and Kuwait due to objections from lawyers of Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is in a tight race with Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo for vice president.

On Wednesday, the NBOC was able to canvass 45 COCs.

Based on total votes for president canvassed as of 7 p.m., Duterte continued to lead with 10,557,060 votes.

For the vice presidential race, Marcos was leading with 8,244,798. Close behind was Robredo with 7,828,476 votes.

Based on the initial schedule issued by the NBOC, the body aims to finish the canvassing in nine days or until June 6.

According to the schedule, the joint committee will prepare its final report and submit it for approval on June 7.

The Senate and the House will convene in joint session to proclaim the president and vice president.

In 2010, President Aquino was proclaimed on June 9. While in the 2004 elections, then president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was proclaimed on June 23.

Waiver

In pushing for an earlier proclamation of Duterte, his lawyers led by Salvador Panelo urged his rivals, including Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, to formally waive their rights to the ongoing canvassing of votes.

“We will have a constitutional crisis if Congress won’t be able to proclaim a new president. We must do away with this presumptive president thing,” Panelo told reporters at the House.

Demaree Raval, who is also a member of Duterte’s legal team, said “the winner in the presidential elections is obvious at this stage.”

He said while Duterte’s rivals have conceded, Santiago has yet to do so. He said there are efforts to ask Santiago and other rivals to issue a formal waiver.

“Canvassing is their right so it can be exercised, it can be waived,” he said. The crux of the matter, he said, is the close fight between Marcos – Santiago’s runningmate – and Robredo.

Panelo said Marcos’ frequent objections have prompted the joint canvassing committee to suspend canvassing on some COCs.

Panelo warned questions on the COCs raised by Marcos’ lawyers could delay Duterte’s proclamation.

The next president must assume office at noon of June 30.

Should Santiago concede, Panelo said Marcos may call for an expeditious canvass for the presidency without prejudice to a subsequent separate canvass for the vice presidency.

“If Sen. Bongbong Marcos wants a separate canvass for the vice presidency, he should get Miriam to concede first,” said former University of the East law dean Amado Valdez, also a co-counsel for Duterte.

Inocencio Ferrer Jr., another lawyer for Duterte, said Panelo has instructed his team to prepare the proper manifestation to be filed with the joint committee tomorrow or Monday at the latest.

He said this will be the first time, if ever, that losing presidential candidates will issue waivers.

“We’re treading in uncharted waters. All presidential elections since 1992 involved simultaneous canvassing and simultaneous proclamation of the president and vice president. But a separate canvass, and a separate proclamation, is constitutionally defensible,” Ferrer said.