MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said they are ready to proclaim the winning senators and party-list representatives of the 2019 midterm elections today.
Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the proclamation will be held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City today with party-list representatives in the morning and senators in the evening.
“I think at this point, it is a pretty sure bet that we’re going to have the proclamation,” Jimenez said. “Party-list representatives in the morning then senators in the evening,” he added.
Jimenez said the Comelec is still waiting for five out of the total 167 certificates of canvass, which covered around 1.68-million votes from Isabela province, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Washington DC and Abuja, Nigeria.
“Right off the bat, you know that this is still a significant vote, which is why we have to wait for it. It will still affect the outcome,” Jimenez said.
Based on the partial and official count, Cynthia Villar and Grace Poe continued to hold on to top two spots followed by former special assistant to the president Bong Go, Taguig representative Pia Cayetano and former Philippine National Police chief Ronald dela Rosa.
Also in the “Magic 12” were Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, Manuel “Lito” Lapid, Imee Marcos, Francis Tolentino, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., and Nancy Binay.
Meanwhile, Jimenez said they are preparing for the possibility that President Rodrigo Duterte will attend the proclamation since he was present when Go filed his certificate of candidacy last October.
“We are preparing for the possibility of President Duterte gracing the proclamation, but nevertheless our security will be tight,” said Jimenez. /PN
