12 new senators of PHL proclaimed
In the proclamation held at the Philippine International Convention Center, 12 new senators of the 17th Philippine congress have been officially declared on Wednesday (May 18) afternoon.
Garnering 18,607,391 votes is Franklin Drilon, who topped this year’s senatorial race. He is followed by Joel Villanueva, who was the then director general of Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), who got 18,459,222 votes.
Third on the list is Vicente Sotto III, who has served two terms in the senate before. Sotto got 17,200,371 votes. On the fourth spot is reelected senator Panfilo Lacson, who got 16,926,152 votes. Both Sotto and Lacson were a no show during the proclamation.
Landing on the fifth spot is Dick Gordon, who got 16,719,322 votes. He was a former senator and currently serves as the chairman of health organization Philippine Red Cross. Next to him is Miguel Zubiri, the current vice chairman of the Philippine Red Cross, who got 16,119,165 votes.
Proclaimed seventh is congressman and world-known boxer Manny Pacquiao, who got 16,050,456 votes. Former senator Francis Pangilinan placed eighth who garnered 15,955,949 votes. Third time’s a charm for Risa Hontiveros who finally landed a spot in the senate after her loss in the last two senatorial elections. Hontiveros got 15,915,213 votes and placed ninth.
For the last three spots, Valenzuela City congressman Win Gatchalian won by 14,953,768 votes, placing 10th, Senate President pro tempore Ralph Recto got 14,271,868 votes, and lastly, former Justice Secretary Leila de Lima got 14,144,070 votes.
A total of 44,979,151 votes were accounted for this year’s 81% election turnout. This year’s proclamation was done after 9 days of canvassing by the Commission on Elections en banc who sat as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC).
Despite opposition from former MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino who placed 13th on the final count, the proclamation pushed through because of an alleged “data manipulation.”
Five new faces included in the list are first-time runners in the senatorial position. These are Villanueva, Pacquiao, Hontiveros, Gatchalian, and de Lima.
Source: Rappler; GMA Network
