Senatorial proclamation eyed next week

The Commission on Elections (Comelec), acting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC), has already received 121 out of 173 certificates of canvass (COCs) that will be tabulated for senators and party-list groups at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.

The Comelec is looking at the possible proclamation of senators in a week’s time or early next week, as they have canvassed more than half of the COCs from highly urbanized cities, provincial and overseas absentee voting.

In yesterday’s canvassing, the NBOC received COCs from Cavite, Cagayan, Italy, Bataan, Zamboanga del Norte, Makati, Northern Samar, Laguna, Zamboanga del Sur, Cotabato, Samar, Davao del Norte, Bohol, Pangasinan, Agusan del Sur, Camarines Sur, Australia, Tawi-Tawi, Mandaluyong, Caloocan, Iloilo, Palawan, Quezon and Leyte.

Records of the NBOC showed that the Cordillera Administrative Region has already completed the transmission of votes along with Ilocos region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga peninsula, Soccsksargen and Caraga.

The NBOC will resume the canvassing of votes for senators and party-list groups at 1 p.m. today.

Limited companions

To avoid mass gathering, the Comelec is limiting the number of companions of the 12 winning senators in their proclamation. The poll body has yet to determine how many companions will be allowed for each of the winning senators.

For party-list groups, Comelec acting spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said the Comelec needs more time before proclamation because they still have to apply a certain formula to determine the winners.