Winning senators to be proclaimed Saturday at earliest — Comelec

Follow Philippines Election Results and Live Updates.

Comelec headquarters in Intramuros, Manila. INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) could begin proclaiming winning senators by Saturday at the earliest, its Chairman George Erwin Garcia said on Tuesday.

The senators will be proclaimed at the Manila Hotel Tent City.

“Perhaps, by the grace of God, this Saturday and Sunday, we hope to proclaim the [winning] senators,” Garcia said in a press conference at the Manila Hotel Tent City.

Asked if Saturday will be the earliest possible proclamation, Garcia said: “Yes, hopefully.”

However, Garcia said the Comelec is still studying whether they conduct a partial proclamation instead of proclaiming all 12 senators at once.

Garcia said a full proclamation of the winning senators is possible if there is certainty that the bottom of the Magic 12 will not be changed.

Senator Bong Go and former senator Bam Aquino are the frontrunners in the Senate race with 26,462,999 votes and 20,627,141 votes, respectively, according to Comelec’s partial and unofficial count as of 1:42 p.m.

As of the said period, Senator Imee Marcos clinched the 12th spot with 13,028,317 votes, but she had a comfortable lead over 13th placer Ben Tulfo, who got 11,880,330 votes. /das