Jul 122013
 
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) may proclaim three more winning party-lists in the May 13 elections before President Benigno Aquino III’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 22.

“Before SONA preferably, sabi ko, matapos namin ‘yan ng July 19,” said Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. in an interview Friday.

He noted that there are still five seats that have yet to be filled up, including three that were reserved for Senior Citizens and one for Abang Lingkod. Both have pending cases before the Supreme Court regarding their disqualification.

“Pinapakuha na namin mga ballot boxes para mabilang na dito [Comelec office in Manila], para ma-proclaim na namin ‘yung tatlo. Matatapos siguro ‘yan before (July) 22,” Brillantes said.

The party-list system is a proportional mode of representation in Congress, which means the number of seats is based on the number of votes per party-list.

Party-lists that got two percent of total votes cast are guaranteed a seat. Those that got more than two percent may get additional seats, based on the Comelec’s formula on seat allocation.

Senior Citizens, in the Comelec’s 10th partial tally, got 677,642 votes, which guarantee it two seats, while Abang Lingkod got 260,215 votes, equivalent to one seat.
 
Although the An Waray group has been proclaimed winner and awarded two seats, its second Certificate of Proclamation has yet to be issued pending the high court’s decision on the cases of Senior Citizens and Abang Lingkod. — KBK, GMA News
 

Jun 202013
 
Buhay party-list gets 3rd seat, Magdalo its 2nd

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has given back to Buhay and Magdalo party-list groups the seats that were initially taken from them as a result of a Supreme Court order regarding the cases of two disqualified party-list groups.   Buhay was initially guaranteed three seats at the House of Representatives after garnering more than two percent of total votes in the May 13 elections. Magdalo, on the other hand, has two seats. The Comelec, however, took one seat each from the two groups after the Supreme Court ordered the poll body to reserve two seats for Senior Citizens and one seat for Abang Lingkod party-lists, which have pending appeals before the high court. For its third nominee, Buhay will have William Irwin Tieng, whose family owns Solar Entertainment Group, while for Magdalo it would be Francisco Ashley Acedillo, a former Cebu City representative who was involved in the November 2007 Manila Peninsula siege. The other nominees who were not in danger of losing their seats are Mariano Michael Velarde, son of El Shaddai founder Mike Velarde, and former Environment secretary Lito Atienza for Buhay; and Gary Alejano, who was also involved in the Manila Pen siege, for Magdalo. The party-list system is a proportional mode of representation in Congress, which means the number of seats is based on the number of votes per party-list. Party-lists that got two percent of total votes cast are guaranteed a seat. Those that got more than two percent may get additional seats, based on Read More …