Only 52 party-list groups were proclaimed on May 19 by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), which decided to suspend the proclamation of two others, including Duterte Youth, because of pending disqualification cases against them.

Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia announced that 54 party-list groups won seats in the House of Representatives in the May 12 midterm elections, and that 41.9 million of 57.3 million actual voters cast their ballots for party-list groups.

The winning party-list groups are entitled to 63 seats in the House, according to Garcia, who opened the proclamation of the winners at the Manila Hotel Tent City with a speech that he delivered in Filipino.

He read aloud Comelec Resolution No.14-25 declaring the winners following the canvass of votes for 175 participating party-list groups by the poll body en banc sitting as the National Board of Canvassers last May 15.

‘Historic’ increase

Garcia marveled at the “historic” fact that the party-list elections saw an increase in the number of groups garnering more than one seat. Of the 54 winners, six gained from three to two seats, he said.

Topnotcher Akbayan, which garnered 2,779,621 votes, gained three seats along with Duterte Youth (2,338,564), and Tingog (1,822,708).

ACT-CIS (1,822,708 votes), 4PS (1,239,930), and Ako Bicol (1,073,119) gained two seats each.

“This is not just numbers in a record, but proof that support and collective action are widening in these groups,” Garcia said in his speech. Likewise, he said, this showed that “representation is not just symbolic but a sincere and strong interaction” in their communities.

“In the ordinary face of democracy, it’s the principle of majority that prevails,” Garcia said, adding:

“This means the group that has the most numbers will prevail. But in the spirit of the party-list system, it’s not only the numbers that become the guide. The goal is to give voice to perspectives that are usually set aside so that they can be represented in the legislature.”

He thanked the voters, describing them as the “force” in the midterm polls, and saluted his fellow commissioners, other poll officials, and all those who helped make the May 12 midterm elections possible.

The proclamation of the party-list winners, which took place seven days after Election Day, was the fastest since automated elections were implemented in 2010.

Applause

Of the party-list nominees present at the ceremony, former senator Leila de Lima and human rights lawyer Jose “Chel” Diokno received the loudest applause from the audience when they came forward to receive their “certificates of proclamation” from Comelec officials led by Garcia.

De Lima represents ML (or Mamamayang Liberal), which got 547,949 votes and ranked No. 14, entitling it to one seat in the House. Diokno is the first nominee of Akbayan, the top winner that got 2,779,621 votes, entitling it to three seats. The two other Akbayan nominees are Perci Cendaña, former commissioner of the National Youth Commission, and women’s rights advocate Dadah Kiram.

As De Lima walked to the front, she met outgoing senator Grace Poe, who was on her way back to her seat after having a photograph taken with her son, Brian Llamanzares, nominee of the FPJ Panday Bayanihan that ranked No.15 with 538,003 votes. The two women shook hands.

Poe was among the 16 senators who voted in 2016 for De Lima’s ouster as chair of the Senate committee on justice, which looked into the extrajudicial killings in the “war on drugs” waged by then President Rodrigo Duterte.

De Lima was arrested in 2017 on drug charges, which she said were made up by Duterte and his camp in retaliation for her Senate investigation. She spent more than six years in detention in Camp Crame in Quezon City before being cleared of the drug charges in all three cases filed against her.

Last week, however, the Court of Appeals declared null and void the 2023 decision of the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 204 acquitting De Lima. Her camp pointed out that the appeals court merely voided the decision and did not reverse it, so that the municipal judge could rewrite the decision.

Sen. Raffy Tulfo was also present at the proclamation because his wife, Jocelyn Tulfo, is one of the two nominees of ACT-CIS.

Also in attendance was former Ilocos Sur governor Chavit Singson, whose daughter, Ako Ilokano Ako party-list Rep. Richelle Singson, will return to the House after her group ranked No. 44 with 301,406 votes.

Disqualification cases

Garcia announced the Comelec’s suspension of the proclamation of Duterte Youth and Bagong Henerasyon (BH) due to the pending disqualification cases filed against them.

He said Duterte Youth (ranked No. 2 with 2,338,564 votes) had two petitions, and BH (ranked No. 39, with 319,803 votes) had one.

“Considering the serious allegations raised in the above petitions, which involved grave violations of election laws, the National Board of Canvassers resolved to suspend the proclamation of Duterte Youth and BH, until the speedy and judicious resolution of the petitions filed before the clerk of the Commission,” Garcia said of the resolution dated May 18.

The other party-list winners are the following, ranked from No. 7 to 54:

Uswag Ilonggo (775,754), Solid North Party (765,322), Trabaho (709,283), Cibac (593,911), Malasakit Bayanihan (580,100), Senior Citizens (577,753), PPP (575,762), United Senior Citizens (533,913), 4K (521,592), LPGMA (517,833), COOP-NATCCO (509,913), Ako Bisaya (477,796).

CWS (477,517), Pinoy Workers (475,985), Agap (469,412), Asenso Pinoy (423,133), Agimat (420,813),TGP (407,922), Sagip (405,297), Alona (393,684),1-Rider (385,700), Kamanggagawa (382,657), Galing sa Puso (381,880), Bicol Saro (366,177), Kusug Tausug (365,916), ACT Teachers (353,631).One COOP (334,098).

KM Ngayon (324,405), Abamin (320,349),TUCP (314.814), Kabataan (312,344), Apec (310,427), Magbubukid (310,427).1Tahanan (309,761), Manila Teachers (301,291), Nanay (293,430), Kapuso PM (293,149),SSS-GSIS (290,359), Dumper PTDA (279,532), Abang Lingkod (274,735), Pusong Pinoy (266,623), Swerte (261,379), Philreca (261,045).

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