Comelec: 100% election results needed before BARMM party winners proclaimed

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Tuesday that 100 percent of the election results must be in before winning political parties can be proclaimed in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary elections.

“Kakailanganin kasi ‘yung kabuuan para makapagproklama dahil kinakailangan 100 percent ang lumabas na resulta,” Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said in a radio interview.

As of Monday night, 97 percent of the election results had been transmitted, Garcia said.

He noted that 36 precincts in Maluso, Basilan, were scheduled to hold voting on Tuesday after the Comelec ordered the reprinting of ballots following the discovery of pre-shaded ballots.

The BARMM parliamentary elections feature 11 political parties, according to the list provided by the Comelec.

The 80 parliamentary seats consist of 40 seats for political party representatives, 32 for district representatives and eight for sectoral representatives.

Garcia, however, said proclamations for winning district representatives could begin Tuesday morning in areas where results were already complete.

“‘Yung mismong mga probinsya katulad ng Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, katulad din po ng SGA, Lanao del Sur at Tawi-Tawi pwede na po sila makaprokalama,” Garcia said.

These include Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Tawi-Tawi and the Special Geographic Area (SGA).

Garcia said Maluso has 68 precincts, 32 of which were not affected by the pre-shaded ballots.

“‘Yung isang distrito na hindi naman apektado pwede na po sila makapagproklama,” he said.

The Comelec chief said unaffected districts may proceed with the proclamation of winning candidates even as voting continues in the affected precincts.