Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 25) — After canvassing the votes from the special polls in Lanao del Sur, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said the proclamation of winning party-list representatives is set for Thursday.
All 63 winning party-list groups will be announced tomorrow afternoon, at 4 p.m., according to Comelec Chairman Saidamen Pangarungan.
The poll body is sitting as the National Board of Canvassers.
On the issue of party-list groups with pending disqualification case, Election Commissioner George Erwin Garcia said the poll body will not issue a certificate of proclamation for the organization.
“However, if the disqualification is against a nominee of the party-list, we will proclaim the party-list organization, we will issue the corresponding certificate of proclamation but will refrain from issuing a certificate of proclamation to the party-list nominee until the issue is resolved by the commission,” he explained.
Garcia noted that the Comelec has already determined party-list organizations and nominees with pending petitions for disqualification.
“As far as we are concerned, we will proceed with the proclamation and we will be guided by that policy,” he stated.
However, in a message to reporters, Garcia clarified that his earlier statement was “subject to the conformity of the entire en banc.”
“Better for everyone to wait for the NBOC reso on the proclamation of PL (party-list),” he said.
“And remember, the Comelec adheres to precedents as we have consistently proven. The statement I made is based on the rules as this was the query posited earlier. I did not say that this is what we are going to do. Nobody should second-guess the NBOC,” Garcia added.
This comes as the Gabriela Party-list expressed disapproval of Garcia’s statement.
The group cited its situation in 2019, where it still secured its certificate of proclamation despite the disqualification case filed by the controversial anti-communist task force.
“Hence, there is a clear precedent for the poll body to proceed with the proclamation and the issuance of the certificate of proclamation to Gabriela Party-list,” it said.
“We will not let the trumped-up disqualification case be made as basis to deny Filipino women genuine representation in Congress,” Gabriela added.
