The Commission on Elections will proclaim the winning party-list groups today while the new senators will also be announced later on the same day as there are still 1.6-million votes to be tallied that could affect the 11th and 12th place.
In 11th place is Bong Revilla with 14,279,625, while in the 12th place is Nancy Binay with 14,065,071 and in the 13th position is JV Ejercito with 13,983,153.
Binay is just ahead of Ejercito by 90,000 votes, while Revilla is ahead of the son of former President Joseph Estrada by 296,472 votes.
In a press conference, Comelec Spokesperson James Jimenez assured the public that the proclamation of national winners in the concluded 2019 midterm elections will happen on Tuesday.
“It’s a pretty sure bet that we’ll have a proclamation tomorrow [Tuesday],” Jimenez said.
Still being tallied were certificates of canvass from Isabela, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the US, and Nigeria with a total of over 1.68-million votes.
As of press time, the Comelec, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers, was still processing the remaining five COCs before winners can be proclaimed in the senatorial and party-list races.
“I’d like to point out we are not the ones hurrying the proclamation. In fact, some people are complaining that we’re taking too much time,” Jimenez said.
With 97 percent of the COCs canvassed, the Comelec said the turnout in the 2019 midterm elections was 75 percent. This was lower than 2016’s turnout of 81.95 percent because participation is traditionally higher in a presidential election.
COMELEC data showed that there were more than 61 million registered voters in 2019, 3 million more than the 58 million registered voters in the May 2016 elections.
The poll watchdog National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections called for a congressional investigation into technical glitches that beset the elections, saying the Comelec should be held accountable for the preventable problems.
Also on Monday, Ejercito said he would not concede defeat until the Comelec had finished counting all the votes.
Asked if he would contest the vote, Ejercito said it was not in his personality to be obstructionist.
“Whatever would be good, even if I have to sacrifice my own career. They just need to explain the seven-hour glitch [in the transmission of election results],” Ejercito said. With Macon Ramos-Araneta
READ: Winners proclaimed on May 22, poll body says; count hits 98.2%