By MIKHA FLORES
THE Commission on Elections, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers, proclaimed on Thursday the top six winning senators — five from Team PNoy and Nancy Binay from the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), who snubbed the ceremony.
Administration candidates Grace Poe-Llamanzares, Senators Loren Legarda, Francis “Chiz” Escudero and Alan Peter Cayetano, and Representative Juan Edgardo Angara, attended the proclamation at the Philippine International Convention Center.
Binay, however, was a no-show at the ceremony which was held only hours after the poll body denied an opposition motion to suspend it because of questions over the slow transmission of election returns and suspicions of data tampering.
“Hindi kailangan ang presence (Her presence is not needed),” Comelec Chair Sixto BrillantesJr said as he proclaimed the lone opposition winner among the top six despite her absence.
The six senators-elect and the rest of the 12 who will be proclaimed later, will officially start their term on June 30, 2013.