There will be no proclamation of winning senators and party-list groups in the recently-concluded 2019 midterm elections on Sunday, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said.
“For the schedule of proclamation, hindi po tuloy ‘yung bukas na in-announce kahapon (Yesterday’s announcement won’t push through tomorrow). We are not ready to proclaim yet, so the schedule will be announced,” Comelec Information and Education Department Director Frances Arabe said in a press conference on Saturday, May 18.
“It depends if we will be able to finish all the COCs (certificates of canvass) tomorrow. Sobrang (Super) tentative because we really want to proclaim immediately after the completion of the canvassing. We will not provide any dates in between after the completion, so just wait for our further announcement,” she added.
The Comelec, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers, has so far tabulated 149 out of 167 COCs.
It has yet to receive COCs from Lanao del Sur, Isabela, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Washington DC, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oslo, Abuja, Nairobi, Tehran, and from persons deprived of liberty (PDLs).
Arabe’s remarks came after various groups urged the poll body to suspend the proclamation of national candidates due to allegations of irregularities and voter fraud during the May 13 polls.
Based on the partial and unofficial count as of 10:10 p.m. on Saturday, the top 12 senatorial candidates are Cynthia Villar, Grace Poe, Christopher “Bong” Go, Pia Cayetano, Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, Manuel “Lito” Lapid, Maria Imelda Josefa “Imee” Marcos, Francis Tolentino, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel, Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr, and Nancy Binay.
Meanwhile, Anti-Crime and Terrorism Community Involvement and Support (ACT-CIS) topped the party-list race, followed by Bayan Muna.