Comelec proclaims 12 winners of Senate seats in Eleksyon 2022

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday proclaimed all 12 winning senators in Eleksyon 2022, including five returning lawmakers, four reelectionists, and three newcomers

Sitting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) at the Philippine International Convention Center, the Comelec named the senators-elect, who will all assume office at noontime on June 30, 2022.

Actor Robin Padilla, who ran under the ruling PDP-Laban, received the most number of votes with 26,612,434 votes based on the latest partial and official vote count by the NBOC.

He was followed by returning senator Antique Representative Loren Legarda who got 24,264,969 votes, broadcaster Raffy Tulfo with 23,396,954, and reelectionist Senator Sherwin Gatchalian with 20,602,655.

Sorsogon Governor Francis "Chiz" Escudero will return to the Senate via fifth place with 20,271,458 votes, followed by former Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar with 19,475,592, and former senator Taguig Representative Alan Cayetano with 19,295,314.

Senate Majority Leader Miguel Zubiri ranked eight with 18,734,336 votes followed by Senator Joel Villanueva with 18,486,034 votes, and former senator JV Ejercito with 15,841,858.

At 11th spot was the lone opposition bet in the winning circle Senator Risa Hontiveros with 15,420,807 votes.

Rounding out the Top 12 is former Senator Jinggoy Estrada with 15,108,625 votes.

The Comelec en banc, composed of chairman Saidamen Pangarungan, and Commissioners George Garcia, Rey Bulay, Aimee Ferolino, Aimee Torrefranca-Neri, Marlon Casquejo, and Socorro Inting, took turns in presenting the certificates of proclamation to the senators starting from Estrada to Padilla.

In his speech, Pangarungan emphasized that the glory of the winning candidates was shared by the voters in Eleksyon 2022, which that had a record turnout of 83.11% and the lowest number of poll violence with 16 incidents.

Of the 66,839,976 registered voters, there were 55,549,791 individuals who actually voted.

“As we usher in a new set of leaders from the local government units up to the national positions, I am proud to say that the Commission on Elections has successfully defended the sovereign right of the people to the democratic process of elections,” Pangarungan said.

“Significantly, this is an election with a very efficient and flawless transparency server that received all election results in record time immediately after voting on election day," he added.

"The swiftest transmission was witnessed by the watchful eyes of all representatives of political parties, the PPCRV, NAMFREL and other citizens’ arms,” Pangarungan said.

The proclamation was based on the latest canvass report by the NBOC, in which 172 out of 173 Certificates of Canvass (COCs) were canvassed for senators and party-list groups from the automated election system, manual overseas voting, local absentee voting, persons deprived as liberty, and 63 barangays in the Bangsamoro region.

Lanao del Sur is still set to conduct its special elections on May 24 after a reported failure of elections.

The proclamation for the partial winning party-list groups will be held after the COC for the said province is canvassed. -NB, GMA News