NINE days after the May 13 midterms polls, the Commission on Elections en banc sitting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) finally proclaimed on Wednesday the winning senatorial candidates and party-list groups.
This after it finally completed late Monday evening the canvassing of 167 certificates of canvass (COCs) from the recently concluded elections.
Based on the final and official canvass of all COCs, the voter-turnout rate for the 2019 polls is 74.31 percent, with only 47,296,442 of the 63,643,263 registered voters going to the precincts.
Officially proclaimed
The NBOC issued Resolution 002-19 officially proclaiming the 12 candidates with the highest votes as senator-elect. They will be assuming their duties on June 30 and will be serving in the Senate up to June 2025.
“By virtue of the power vested under the 1987 Constitution and other election laws, the Comelec, sitting en banc as the NBoC, declares the following as the duly-elected senators of the Republic of the Philippines for the May 13, 2019, national and local elections ranked according to the number of votes obtained by each,” Comelec and NBOC Chairman Sheriff Abas said, reading the resolution.
Topping the list is reelectionist Cynthia Villar, who consistently maintained the lead in the recently concluded tight senatorial race.
The NBOC declared Villar the top senatorial candidate after she garnered 25,283,727 votes.
Since the start of the national canvassing on May 14, the Nacionalista Party candidate never left the top spot in the series of partial official canvass of COCs.
Villar, the wife of former Senate President Manuel “Manny” Villar, first served as senator from 2013 to 2019. In that period, she chaired the Senate committees on food and agriculture; environment; and government corporations.
Delivering a speech on behalf of the newly elected batch of 12 senators, Villar vowed to continue helping farmers and fishermen.
When the 18th Congress opens in late July, she predicted more productive sessions with a more “strong and independent Senate,” which she said will lead to the crafting of more propeople legislation.
“It is our prayer and hope that the new set of senators will be able to accomplish what we have set out to do and fulfill our promises to the voting public and set aside our political differences,” Villar said.
Coming in second place is another reelectionist senator, Grace Poe, who got 22,029,788 votes. Poe ran as an independent candidate and is the daughter of actress Susan Roces and the late actor Fernando Poe Jr.
As senator, she served as the head of the Senate committees on public information and media; public order; and dangerous drugs.
Newcomers
In third place is Christopher “Bong” Go, President Duterte’s former special assistant.
Despite being a newcomer, the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino– Lakas ng Bayan candidate got 20,657,702 votes after being endorsed by Duterte.
Topping the list of comebacking senators is Pilar “Pia” Cayetano at fourth place with 19,789,019 votes.
After serving in the Senate from 2004 to 2016, she served as representative of Taguig’s second district. Newcomer Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa claimed the fifth spot with 19,004,225 votes.
The former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief is known for leading the government’s controversial campaign against illegal drugs.
In sixth place is reelectionist Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara with 18,161,862 votes.
The son of the late veteran lawmaker and former Senate President Edgardo Angara served as the head of the Senate committees on local government; ways and means; as well as the games, sports and amusement.
Actors and politicians
Returning Sen. Lito Lapid was proclaimed in seventh place after securing 16,965,464 votes.
Despite staying out of politics in the last three years, the former actor remained popular among voters after landing a key role in the popular long-running telenovela Ang Probinsyano.
Former Ilocos Norte Governor and Congresswoman Maria “Imee” Marcos made it to eighth place with total votes of 15,882,628.
She is the daughter of former President Ferdinand Marcos and Leyte Rep. Imelda Marcos, and sister of former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
Francis Tolentino finally made it to the Senate with 15,510,026 votes, giving him the ninth slot in the Senate race. He ran as senator in 2016, but lost.
Tolentino served as the political adviser of Duterte and was the chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
Making it to the 10th place is reelectionist Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III with 14,629,785 votes.
Pimentel, the son of former Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr., was himself the immediate past Senate president, and chaired the committees on trade; electoral reform; and justice and human rights.
The 11th place was claimed by comebacking Ramon “Bong” Revilla with 14,624,445 votes.
This will be the first attempt of the actor and former senator to return to politics after being detained for a plunder case. Last year, the anti-graft court acquitted him.
Rounding up the so-called Senate Magic 12 is reelectionist Nancy Binay with 14,504,939 votes.
This will be the second term of the daughter of former Vice President Jejomar Binay in the Senate. She previously headed the committee of cultural communities; and tourism.
Of the 12 winning senators, only Poe, Lapid and Binay were not directly endorsed by presidential daughter Sara Duterte’s regional political party, Hugpong ng Pagbabago. A total of 62 senatorial candidates participated in the 2019 elections.
Image credits: Roy Domingo