The Commission on Elections convened as the National Board of Canvassers (BOC) at The Tent of the Manila Hotel on May 19, 2025, for the proclamation of the winning party-list groups. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

MANILA (UPDATED)— The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday announced that 2 party-list groups that won seats in the midterm polls will not be proclaimed, pending the resolution of their respective cases in the poll body.

Comelec chairman George Garcia issued the update in a press briefing hours before the party-list winners' proclamation later this afternoon. 

"Meron po tayong dalawang party-list na hindi mapoproklama," he said. "Sinuspend po ng National Board of Canvassers and proclamation nila dahil sa pending cases nila.

"Ito po'y base sa determination mismo ng National Board of Canvassers at kasama na rin yung mismong division na may hawak ng mga kaso na yan," Garcia added.

He did not identify the 2 party-lists who will not be proclaimed, but offered this clue:

"Yung isa may tatlong seat, yung isa may isang seat."

Akbayan, Duterte Youth, Tingog win 3 party-list seats each

Akbayan, Duterte Youth and Tingog are the 3 party-list groups that won 3 seats each in the midterm polls.

"Considering the serious allegations raised in the petitions filed against these party-lists, then the national board decided to suspend their proclamation. They won but suspended ang kanilang proclamation," Garcia further explained.

Garcia promised that the poll body will resolve these pending cases on or before June 30. 

"Nanalo po sila, kasama po sila. Yung isa po ay may tatlong seats, yung isa po ay may isang seat. Kung sakali po na sila ay hindi maproklama mamaya, hindi nangangahulugan na hindi sila maproklama sa mga susunod," he said.

According to the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC), only 63 vacant seats for the party-list groups will be filled and not 64 as previously contested during the canvassing of votes for party-list groups.

"Ito ay nagrerepresenta ng tinatawag natin na 20% ng total composition ng House of Representatives, dapat po ang computation diyan ay 63.5, kaya lang wala naman pong point 5 na tao kung kaya hindi po tayo puwedeng mag-round off, considering fraction na yun kaya nagdesisyon ang board na ito ay ibase lamang sa 63," said Garcia.

"Sa 63 na yan ay meron tayo na 3 partylist na entitled sa tig-ta-tatlo, meron din po tatlo na entitled sa tig-da-dalawa," he added.

According to Garcia, the NBOC based its computation on the Banat vs Comelec case ruling of the Supreme Court. 

"Merong isang partylist na nakakuha ng 0.99 pero hindi nai-consider 0.99 na 'yun, sapagkat ang contention po ng party-list na 'yun ay dapat daw po 'yung 0.99 ay entitled pa sa isa," he said.

"So kung dalawa sila dapat daw po ay may isa pa.  Pero siyempre ang contention po ng national board, base sa decision ng Korte Suprema ang 0.99 ay hindi one. At dahil hindi po 'yun one ay hindi entitled sa pangatlo na seat," he added.

Based on the final computation of the NBOC, Garcia said the party-list groups that ranked first, second and third will have three seats each in Congress. The party-lists that ranked fourth, fifth and sixth will have two seats each, while the rest will have one seat.

According to Garcia, the NBOC has already sent the invitations to the 52 winning party-list organizations.

Garcia added that the national board has also sent a copy of its resolution to the two groups with pending proclamation.