By Ferdinand Patinio | Philippine News Agency
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday said winning senators and party-list groups will be proclaimed over the weekend, with the canvassing of votes expected to be finished late Thursday.
“Either Saturday or Sunday, we will proclaim the 12 senators and winners in the party-list polls,” Comelec Chairperson George Garcia said in an interview.
He said the Comelec needs at least one day to prepare the venue of the proclamation.
“We want to provide at least a dignified and well organized place where our brave senators and the members of Congress on the party-list will be proclaimed,” Garcia said.
“So that is still being prepared. There are formal invitations that are still being sent so that they can attend and be accompanied by their family members and they can also prepare.”
The canvassing of votes by the Comelec, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC), officially started on Tuesday with 58 certificates of canvas (COCs) at the Manila Hotel Tent City.
Garcia said they plan to canvass 100 COCs on Wednesday, which, according to him, will be “historic.”
“If we have 100 COCs [that will be canvassed] now, that will be historic… what we are trying to do is to lay down certain standards for the next Commission,” he said.
“Hopefully, the canvassing will be over by tomorrow (Thursday) night,” he added.
