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THE
National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel)
ended its “quick count” on Saturday night, completing
the canvass of votes from 87.69 percent of election
precincts, or 197,084 out of the total 224,748.
“[We
will] no longer [do the quick count] …,” Namfrel
national chairman Edward Go told reporters in an
interview late Saturday night.
Go
stressed that the remaining uncanvassed precincts will
not significantly alter the standing of the senatorial
and Party-list candidates.
“Probably not anymore. Any change [in the tabulation]
would be very small,” Go added, as Namfrel moved out of
its Quick Count headquarters at the De La Salle campus
in Greenhills, Mandaluyong City at 12 midnight Saturday.
The poll
watchdog will submit the final report of its tabulation
to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on June 14
after convening its leaders nationwide on June 10.
As of
11:41 p.m. of June 2, its still 8-2-2 in favor of the
Genuine Opposition with opposition senatorial candidate
Loren Legarda topping the senatorial race with
15,200,169 votes followed by Francis “Chiz” Escudero
(GO) with 14,926,697 votes.
Reelectionist Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson is still at the
third spot with 12,880,049 votes; reelectionist Senate
President Manuel “Manny” Villar (GO), 12,537,728 votes;
Benigno Aquino III (GO), 11,965,505; Independent
reelectionist Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, 11,930,557.
Team Unity’s Edgardo Angara is on the seventh slot with
10,403,534 votes.
Alan
Peter Cayetano (GO) is still on the eighth slot with 9,
691,262 followed by Independent candidate Gregorio
Honasan with 9, 636,150 votes.
TU’s
reelectionist Sen. Joker Arroyo is still on the 10th
spot with 9,618,637 votes while Antonio Trillanes IV is
on 11th spot with 9,248,609. GO’s Aquilino “Koko”
Pimentel III is still hanging on the 12th and last spot
with 8,895,408.
TU’s
Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri is still a threat to Pimentel
with 8,811,731.
Malacañang is not keen on the proposed proclamation of
13 senators to fill in the vacancy to be left by Manila
Mayor-elect Alfredo Lim even if it would benefit
administration bets, Chief Presidential Counsel Sergio
Apostol said on Sunday.
Apostol
said that a vacancy for a senatorial slot would require
a formal announcement from the Commission on Elections (Comelec)
and the holding of special elections.
Asked
about the proposal, Apostol said: “Well, legally that is
not right because at the time the senatorial candidates
filed their COCs, it was clear they are vying for 12
senatorial seats and not 13.”
Apostol
said that in the end, it would be the Comelec that would
decide on the proposal but if there is another slot for
senator, special elections should be held.
The
administration’s acceptance of the defeat of its
senatorial candidates is a signal that any operations on
the ground that may alter the present ranking of
candidates would already come from “individual moves”
and not as a “policy” from Malacañang, said a political
analyst.
Ramon
Casiple, executive director of the Institute of
Political and Electoral Reforms (Iper), said TU
candidate Michael Defensor’s concession of defeat and
Malacanang’s appeal for “respect” for the outcome of the
polls, are clear signs of the government’s throwing in
the towel.
“There
is no policy to cheat. This will just come from
individual moves,” Casiple said.
He said
the administration failed to calculate the “surge” of GO
bets in the polls and that it will not risk the
possibility of creating another big crisis against
President Arroyo by duplicating what occurred in
Maguindanao where TU allegedly got 12-0 votes just to
allow administration candidates to catch up.
“The
people will not believe that [change in present
rankings]. It will create a lot of trouble for the
government,” Casiple noted.
He added
that even election operators are also not that
“determined” in their moves after the “Hello Garci”
scandal and since there are now more poll watchdogs who
monitored the May 14 elections.
Meanwhile, Casiple said the failure of the Comelec
sitting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) to
make a partial proclamation of winners is only fanning
speculations that “some catching up” is being done.
He said
the reason cited by Elections Chairman Benjamin Abalos
Sr. that a partial proclamation is not yet possible
because there are still some certificates of canvass to
be accounted for is “not an argument for not
proclaiming.”
“What
are they waiting for? They can proclaim the top 10 since
the ranking is already established and is already
impossible to change. Comelec’s refusal is only
strengthening speculations that somebody is trying to
manipulate the results,” Casiple added.
The NBOC
deferred making a partial proclamation twice as Abalos
said that certificates of canvass yet to be tabulated
that are from Basilan, Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Lanao
del Norte, Surigao del Norte, and Sultan Kudarat, may
still change the top 10 to 12 ranking. There are more
than two million registered voters in these provinces.
Canvassing at the Philippine International Convention
Center (PICC) was deferred Sunday and will resume Monday
as no COC has arrived for tabulation.
Malacañang would strive to forge a “reasonable working
relationship” with the Senate regardless of the
composition of its committees, Presidential Political
Adviser Gabriel Claudio said on Sunday.
“Whatever the composition of the committees, the
executive department will strive to establish a
reasonable working relationship with them in support of
a common legislative agenda that will further promote
political stability and economic growth,” Claudio said.
--With C. Jimenez and M. Gonzalez |
