MANILA — The Commission on Elections (Comelec), sitting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC), is just awaiting nine certificates before wrapping up the canvassing of votes cast in the May 13 mid-term polls.
Frances Arabe, Comelec’s Education and Information Department (EID) assistant director, said Saturday those that have yet to transmit their results are the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Isabela, Zamboanga del Norte, and Zamboanga del Sur; Persons Deprived of Liberty (Detainee Voters); and Nigeria, Washington DC., Tokyo, and Riyadh.
As of 8 p.m. on Saturday, the NBOC has canvassed 158 out of the 167 Certificates of Canvass (COCs).
Based on the latest tally, reelectionist senator Cynthia Villar still leads with 24,199,174 votes, followed by Grace Poe, 21,183,332; Bong Go, 19,568,909; Pia Cayetano, 18,999,378; Bato dela Rosa, 18,045,456; and Sonny Angara, 17,442,174.
Also in the top 12 are: Lito Lapid 16,252,252 votes; Imee Marcos 15,079,596; Francis Tolentino, 14,741,637; Koko Pimentel, 13,948,863; Bong Revilla Jr., 13,873,309; and Nancy Binay, 13,784,692.
For the party-list, the top 10 groups are ACT-CIS, 2,528,353 votes; Bayan Muna, 1,089,339; Ako Bicol, 1,043,326; Cibac, 911,080; Ang Probinsyano, 736,545; 1Pacman, 692,416; Marino, 643,944; Probinsyano Ako, 607,439; Senior Citizens, 499,243, and APEC, 479,119.
Substitution plea
Meanwhile, the Comelec clarified that National Youth Commission (NYC) chairman, Ronald Cardema, filed his petition for substitution last May 12 and not May 16, as earlier reported.
“On the petition filed by Ronald Cardema of Duterte Youth, we would just like to correct the information given yesterday (Friday). The filing of the petition for substitution is dated May 12, 2019 so it was filed before Election Day, not May 16 as was mentioned yesterday,” Arabe said, noting that the petition was filed within the filing period since the deadline was on May 13.
Asked if Cardema violated any law since he did not resign from his post, she said, “I think the Law Department has a recommendation on that also. I haven’t seen it yet. It is part of the recommendation to the Comelec en banc.”
Cardema filed the petition to replace his wife, Ducielle Marie Suarez Cardema, as the nominee for the congressional seat.
Under Comelec Resolution 3307, a party-list nominee may only be substituted if he dies, if his nomination is withdrawn by the party, if he becomes incapacitated to continue as such, or if he withdraws his acceptance to the nomination.
However, no substitution shall be allowed by reason of withdrawal after the close of polls, according to the resolution.
In any of these cases, the poll body rules provide that the name of the substitute nominee shall be placed last in the list of the group’s nominees.