By Ferdinand Patinio/Philippine News Agency
MANILA — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is eyeing to proclaim the 12 winning senators on Tuesday afternoon.
However, Education and Information Department assistant director Frances Arabe noted that the proclamation of the winning party-list groups will be made on Wednesday.
She said that the supposed proclamation of all the winners in the national positions on Tuesday was changed as they are still waiting for the Certificates of Canvass (COCs) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and Washington DC (USA).
“Original schedule is morning but since they still have a session until noon tomorrow (Tuesday), the proclamation for the winning party-lists was moved to Wednesday evening,” the poll body official said in an interview Monday evening at the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) Headquarters at the Forum of Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City.
“And if we are able to canvass by noon (Tuesday) at 100 percent we will proceed with the schedule proclamation of Senators in the afternoon,” she said.
Arabe added that the COCs of the said posts are now in transit and that they expect these to arrive in the country on Tuesday.
Both areas have a combined registered voters of 555,092, based on Comelec data.
“It’s already in transit. There is a difference in time zone. We expect the arrival of the COCs tomorrow (Tuesday) morning,” the Comelec official explained.
Meanwhile, the ranking of the top 12 senators remains unchanged after canvassing three (Isabela, Japan, Nigeria) of the last five COCs on Monday.
As of 9 p.m., May 20, 165 COCs canvassed, still in number one spot is reelectionist Senator Cynthia Villar with 25,215,678 votes.
She is followed by another reelectionist Senator Grace Poe-Llamanzares (21,981,678), in third place is former Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go (20,579,811); followed by come-backing senator and Taguig Rep. Pilar Juliana “Pia” Cayetano (19,719629); former Philippine National Police chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, 18,922,017 (5th) and in sixth place is reelectionist Sen. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara (18,110,367).
Completing the Top 12 are: former Senator Manuel “Lito” Lapid (16,932,255); Ilocos Norte Gov Maria Imelda Josefa “Imee” Marcos (15,811,231); former Metro Manila Development Authority chairman Francis Tolentino (15,446,517); reelectionist Senator Aquilino Martin “Koko” Pimentel III (14,617,686); former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr. (14,608,102) ; and reelectionist Senator Maria Lourdes “Nancy” Binay (14,484,839).
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