Comelec: Senators, party-lists to be proclaimed separately due to COVID-19 health rules

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Sunday said winning senators and party-list groups would be proclaimed separately to maintain public health standards amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the press briefing, Comelec acting spokesperson Rex Laudiangco said the poll body, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC), would separately proclaim the initial party-list groups that reached the 2% threshold of the total number of party-list votes.

“In order to maintain minimum public health standards we have to separate yung proclamations ng senators and party-lists. So we really have to separate the party-lists,” Laudiangco said.

“Then again yung party-list po dahil sa completion ng total party-list votes we are entertaining the possibility of proclaiming top-tier party-list meaning yung matataas po na nakakuha ng boto na hindi na maaring maapektuhan doon sa distribution and application of the formula nung hindi pa dumarating na partylist votes. Total number of partylist votes is really the basis,” he added.

(For the party-list groups, due to the completion of the total party-list votes, we are entertaining the possibility of proclaiming top-tier party-lists - meaning those who got the highest votes. They can no longer be affected by the distribution and application of the formula for those party-list votes that are yet to come in. The total number of party-list votes is really the basis.)

The law provides that a party-list group that gets at least 2% of the total number of votes cast in the party-list race will be entitled to at least one seat in the House of Representatives.

Those who exceed the 2% threshold will be entitled to additional seats proportionate to the number of votes cast, but the total number of seats for each winning party-list group cannot exceed three.

Meanwhile, Comelec Commissioner George Garcia said that senators who will be proclaimed can have up to five companions.

Laudiangco, for his part,  said earlier that  party-list groups will be limited to two guests.

The poll body said it was looking to proclaim all 12 winning Eleksyon 2022 senators on Wednesday-May18 and partial winning party-list groups on Thursday-May 19.

Actor Robin Padilla still topped the 2022 senatorial elections based on the partial and official canvassing results in 17 regions and overseas voting released by the NBOC on Friday with 23,908,730 votes.

At least nine party-list groups have secured seats in the House of Representatives based on the partial and official tally of the Comelec on Thursday. — DVM, GMA News