Comelec Starts Preparations for Official Proclamation
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has begun preparations for the proclamation of the winning senators and party-list groups in Eleksyon 2025. Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia confirmed in a press briefing that the poll body will conduct a full proclamation of the victorious senatorial candidates.
The proclamation event is scheduled for Saturday, May 17, at around 3 p.m. It will take place at the Tent City of the Manila Hotel. Meanwhile, the winning party-list organizations will be officially 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,” Garcia said.
The Comelec, acting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC), completed the canvassing of votes for the senatorial elections on Thursday night. Reelectionist Senator Christopher “Bong” Go emerged as the top vote-getter, receiving 27,121,073 votes out of 66 candidates who ran for the 12 available seats.
Details on Proclamation and Senatorial Speeches
Each of the 12 winning senators will be permitted to bring between 10 to 15 companions to the proclamation event. Additionally, they will have five minutes each to deliver their acceptance speeches. Notably, no specific dress code will be enforced during the ceremony, according to Garcia.
Party-List Seat Allocation Controversy
The Comelec will soon issue a resolution on the allocation of seats for the winning party-list groups based on the May elections. A significant issue under discussion is whether the total number of party-list seats should be 63 or 64.
On Thursday evening, a representative from the Philreca party-list argued that the seat count should be 64 based on their calculations. Garcia requested all party-lists to submit their position papers regarding this 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?” Garcia explained.
He further acknowledged the complexity of the issue, stating, “Alam namin legal issue ‘yan and therefore, di lang issue ‘yan ng Mathematics. Legal issue ‘yun na maaaring makarating sa Supreme Court.”
Understanding Party-List Seat Computation
According to party-list laws and Supreme Court decisions, a party-list group must secure at least 2% of the total votes cast in the party-list elections to earn at least one seat in the House of Representatives. Additional seats may be granted proportionally to parties earning more than 2%, but no group can hold more than three seats.
There are a total of 63 seats reserved for party-list representatives, comprising 20% of the House. If the parties that meet the 2% threshold do not fill all 63 seats, the remaining seats are allocated to groups with vote shares closest to 2% until all seats are filled.
For more updates on Eleksyon 2025, visit Filipinokami.com.