Preps for proclamation of senators on May 17, party-lists on May 19 underway

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday started the preparations for the proclamation of the winning senators and party-list organizations in Eleksyon 2025.

In a press briefing, Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia reiterated the poll body will hold a full proclamation of the winning senatorial candidates.

The proclamation will be held at the Tent City at the Manila Hotel on Saturday, May 17, at around 3 p.m. while winning party-list groups will be proclaimed on Monday, May 19, 2025.

“Hinihintay lang namin ang formal na recommendation ng supervisory committee but we were informed they will recommend to proclaim the 12 winning senatorial candidates base sa rankings kahapon,” said Garcia.

(We’re waiting for the  formal recommendation of the supervisory committee but we were informed they will recommend to proclaim the 12 winning senatorial candidates based on the computation yesterday.)

The Comelec, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC), on Thursday night wrapped up the canvassing of votes in the senatorial elections, with reelectionist Senator Christopher “Bong” Go topping the race.

Data from the national certificate of canvass showed Go received 27,121,073 votes during the May 12 elections. A total of 66 candidates joined the senatorial race.

Each of the 12 winning senators will be allowed to bring 10 to 15 companions and will be given five minutes to deliver their respective speeches. No dress code will also be implemented at the proclamation, Garcia added.

64 seats?

Meanwhile, the poll body will issue a resolution providing the seat allocation for the winning party-lists in the May polls as well as its ruling on the number of seats for party-list groups, whether it should be 63 or 64.

On Thursday evening, a representative of the Philreca party-list said the number of seats for party-list should be 64 and not 63 based on their computation. Garcia asked the party-list groups to submit their position papers on the matter.

“Mayroon kasing point. Ang basehan ng 20% sa Kongreso, 20% ng kabuuang congressmen ng legislative districts. Pero paano kung hindi exact figures? Paano kung mayroong point? Ang tanong sigurado, paano gagawin ng Comelec sa point, ‘yun ba ay iko-consider na one whole or mere fraction?” said Garcia.

(They have a point. The basis of the 20% in the House of Representatives is the number of congressmen in the legislative districts. But what if there is a decimal point? Should the Comelec treat it as a mere fraction or one whole?)

“Alam namin legal issue 'yan and therefore, di lang issue 'yan ng Mathematics. Legal issue 'yun na maaaring makarating sa Supreme Court,” he said.

(We know that this is a legal issue that may be elevated to the Supreme Court.)

Under the party-list law, the Supreme Court decisions on computation of party-list seats, and the Philippine Constitution, a party-list group needs to secure at least 2% of the votes cast in the party-list race to win at least one seat in the House of Representatives.

An additional seat will be granted to a party-list which will be able to secure more than 2% of the votes cast proportional to the additional percentage it got, but the maximum number of seats is only three.

There are 63 seats available for party-list representatives or 20% of the members of the House. If all those who got the 2% and above votes are not able to fill in all the 63 seats, the next-in-line groups with the closest vote share to 2% will get to secure one seat until all party-list seats are filled. —AOL, GMA Integrated News

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