ACT-CIS still on top; seafarers, seniors group surging

The top six party-list groups have remained unshaken in the latest rankings of the midterm race based on a partial and official tally released by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc sitting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC).

As of 8 p.m. Saturday, the Duterteallied Anti-Crime and Terrorism Community Involvement and Support (ACTCIS) Party-list still emerged on top with 2,528,353 votes after the fifth day of the canvassing.

The opposition Bayan Muna

Party-list came in at second place with 1,089,339 votes.

It was followed by Ako Bicol Party-list with 1,043,326 votes; Cibac Party-list with 911,080 votes; Ang Probinsyano Party-list with 736,545 votes; and 1Pacman Party-list with 692,416 votes.

What came as a surprise was the surging of Marino Party-list, a group of Filipino seafarers, and the Coalition of Associations of Senior Citizens in the Philippines, Inc. (Senior Citizens).

From ninth place in Friday's rankings, Marino Party-list climbed to the seventh place with 643,944 votes; followed by the Probinsyano Ako Party-list with 607,439 votes.

Senior Citizens was at ninth place with 499,243 votes – a spot higher compared to Friday's rankings.

Rounding up the top ten was the Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives (APEC) Party-list with 479,119 votes.

The Commission en banc suspended the session at 8:15 p.m. after the canvassing of 158 certificates of canvass (COCs) out of the total 167 COCs. It represents 94.61 percent of the total canvassed votes.

There remains only nine COCs that have yet to be received by the Commission en banc.

These are from Lanao del Sur, Isabela Province, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, persons deprived of liberty, Nigeria, Washington DC, Tokyo, and Riyadh.

The sixth day of canvassing was set to resume at 1 p.m. Sunday.