Jinggoy, Bong top senatorial race

MANILA, Philippines - Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino’s (PMP) Jinggoy Estrada topped the senatorial race based on the initial canvassing of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) which convened yesterday as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC).

With a total of 3,715,333 votes, Estrada overtook fellow actor-turned-politician Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. who, ironically, led the race in the unofficial tabulation of election results from polling precincts previously released by Comelec.

But based on 10.8 percent of certificates canvassed by the Provincial Board of Canvassers (PCOC), as of 4:58 p.m. yesterday, the Liberal Party (LP) dominated the polls with five of its candidates in the top 15. The Nacionalista Party (NP) bagged three slots while PMP had two.

The canvassing results showed that Revilla of Lakas-Kampi-CMD came in second (3,649,709).

He was followed by People’s Reform Party’s Miriam Defensor-Santiago (3,427,585); LP’s Franklin Drilon (3,087,445); PMP’s Juan Ponce Enrile (3,076,935); NP’s Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (3,047,020); NP’s Pilar Juliana Cayetano (2,805,462); Nationalist People’s Coalition’s Vicente Sotto III (2,408,467); LP’s Ralph Recto (2,264,930); independent Sergio Osmeña III (2,263,524); LP’s Teofisto Guingona III (2,168,619); LP’s Ana Theresia Hontiveros-Baraquel (1,904,276); Lakas-Kampi-CMD’s Manuel Lapid (1,858,028); NP’s Gilbert Remulla (1,832,388) and LP’s Rozzano Biazon (1,757,645).

Comelec records showed that as of 11 a.m. yesterday, only a few PCOCs have been transmitted completely to the National Board of Canvassers.

These places are Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Bataan, Cavite, Marinduque; Quezon City; Mandaluyong; Marikina City; Valenzuela; Malabon; Makati; Muntinlupa; Parañaque; Albay; Guimaras; Siquijor; Biliran; Camiguin and Singapore.

All the provinces in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) have not transmitted their provincial certificates of canvass (PCOC).

The Comelec admitted that the transmission of PCOCs had been slowed down by a policy that the canvassing and consolidation system (CCS) needs 100 percent canvassing threshold before it could transmit the certificate of canvass to the next level of canvassers.

Under the law, the votes are counted at the polling precincts and then the results are transmitted to the municipal board of canvassers for canvassing.

After this, the certificates of canvass will be transmitted to the provincial board of canvassers for canvassing and eventually to the Comelec for the senators and party-list and to Congress for president and vice president for canvassing.

Meantime, independent presidential candidate Nick Perlas yesterday said he was not yet conceding to presidential race front-runner Sen. Benigno Aquino III, saying he would still wait for the Comelec to give a final tally and give an explanation on how it will address the disenfranchisement of millions of voters.   – With Christina Mendez, Perseus Echeminada, Rainier Allan Ronda and Jaime Laude