It’s official: Poe tops Senate race; Cayetano places 3rd

MANILA, Philippines - Almost one month after the May 13 elections, Mary Grace Poe-Llamanzares was officially declared by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) as the topnotcher in the senatorial race.

The Comelec, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC), issued a resolution declaring that Poe obtained the highest number of votes.

The NBOC Resolution No. 0010-13 contained the final ranking of the 12 newly elected senators who will sit in the 16th Congress.

“While there are still remaining uncanvassed votes, the same will no longer affect the ranking of the winning candidates for senator of the Republic of the Philippines,” the resolution stated.

Poe obtained a total of 20,337,327 votes, landing her in the top slot. She was followed by Loren Legarda with 18,661,196 votes.

Alan Peter Cayetano bumped off Francis Escudero who was the third leading senator when they were proclaimed by the Comelec three weeks ago.

With 17,580,813 votes, Cayetano got third place while Escudero slipped to fourth with 17,502,358 votes.

Even with some 30,000 uncanvassed votes, Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said these would no longer affect the ranking of Cayetano and Escudero.

Nancy Binay took fifth place with 16,812,148 votes; followed by Juan Edgardo Angara with 16,005,564; Paolo Benigno Aquino IV with 15,534,465; Aquilino Pimentel III, 14,725,114; Antonio Trillanes IV, 14,127,722; Cynthia Villar, 13,822,854, and JV Ejercito with 13,684,736 votes.

The resolution confirmed Gregorio Honasan won the last slot over Richard Gordon as they got 13,211,424 and 12,501,991 votes, respectively.

Comelec proclaimed the 12 winning senators last month without disclosing their votes.