Metro Manila, Philippines – Fifty-four party-list groups will have seats in the 20th Congress from the just concluded midterm polls on Monday, May 19.
The Commission on Elections, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers, withheld proclamation for two groups – Duterte Youth over campaign and registration issues, and Bagong Henerasyon (BH) over a petition alleging grave violation of election laws.
Duterte Youth is one of three groups that each obtained three of the 63 party-list seats in the House of Representatives. The others are Akbayan and Tingog, which got the first and third highest votes.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the suspension of proclamation was due to cases with pending decisions.
“Hindi po nangangahulugan na hindi kasama sa proklamasyon ay hindi nanalo…Hindi po nangangahulugan na hindi sila maproklama sa mga susunod. Ipinagpaliban muna bilang pagrespeto sa proseso rin,” said Garcia in a press briefing on Monday morning.
[Translation: This does not mean those who were not proclaimed didn’ t win…It doesn’t mean too that they will not be proclaimed anymore. It was deferred to respect the process.]
Garcia said he also distanced himself from the suspension due to professional relationships in the past with the groups involved.
Youth and progressive groups earlier filed a petition to cancel the registration of Duterte Youth for supposedly committing an election offense due to red-tagging.
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