Comelec proclaims Akbayan as 2022 party-list race winner

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday proclaimed Akbayan as one of the winners in the 2022 party-list race entitled with one seat in the House of Representatives.

The poll body’s National Board of Canvassers issued the proclamation dated September 25 after the Supreme Court upheld the cancellation of the registration of An Waray party-list, leaving one House seat vacant.

“We, the Chairman and Commissioners of the Commission on Elections, sitting En Banc as the National Board of Canvassers for the Party-List System in the Automated National and Local Elections of May 9, 2022, do hereby proclaim Akbayan Citizens Action party (Akbayan) as having obtained the required percentage of votes under the party-list system of representation to entitle its qualified nominee namely: Percival V. Cendaña,” the Comelec said.

As a result, Cendaña will sit as member House of Representatives until June 30, 2025 as provided under Section 7, Article 6 of the Philippine Constitution.

Akbayan Party president Rafaela David, in a statement, lauded the Comelec for its swift decision on the matter.

“We would like to thank Comelec for their swift action in issuing the Certificate of Proclamation to Akbayan acting on Congress’ request to fill in a vacancy in the party-list seats as part of the constitutional mandate to fill in all seats allotted for party-list organizations,” David said.

Akbayan’s return to House, David said, is a win for progressive, democratic, and reform-oriented forces in the country.

“Our victory is not a product of legal technicalities but the result of the hard work of our members, supporters, partners, and allies in bringing our brand of leadership and governance back to Congress,” she said.

“It is a validation of the work of progressive, democratic and reform-oriented forces to rein in the abuses and counter the excesses committed during the previous administration,” David added. —Llanesca T. Panti/KBK, GMA Integrated News