MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections said it is “confident” that it can proclaim elected senatorial candidates and party-list groups by Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.
This comes as the poll body, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers, said it only has 14 certificates of canvass left to process and six of those will be done on Monday. It has processed 159 COCs out of 173 as of Sunday.
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“Commissioner [George] Garcia had already made a pronouncement that the en banc had decided to make the proclamation for the winning senators on Wednesday, May 18, at 4 p.m.,” Comelec acting spokesman John Rex Laudiangco said in a press briefing on Monday.
“[For] party-lists, our projected date and intended date of proclamation will be on May 19 at 4 p.m.,” he added.
However, the 12 senators-elect will be proclaimed without standing or ranking because of the pending special elections in Lanao del Sur, which will be held on May 24.
The poll body also said not all 63 seats for party-list legislators will be proclaimed on Thursday, limiting the proclamation only to those that have “garnered the guaranteed seats.”
Laudiangco said the poll body “understands the excitement” of some party-lists that have already prepared press releases about their success in this year’s polls. However, he reminded them to wait for the Comelec’s official announcement after they finish processing the COCs.