Senate President Vicente Tito Sotto lll hands over the copy of the certificate of canvass to President-elect Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. and Vice President-elect Sara Duterte during the proclamation ceremony at the House of Representatives. With Marcos are House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, Irene Araneta-Marcos, House Speaker Lord Alan Velasco, Joseph Simon Araneta Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, Mrs Imelda Romualdez-Marcos and Senator Imee Marcos. Video clips by JunC

Romualdez thanks colleagues, bets for speedy, transparent canvass

CONGRESS on Wednesday evening proclaimed former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. as president-elect and Davao City Mayor City Mayor Sara Duterte as vice-president-elect after two days of counting, the fastest in Philippine electoral history.

The Marcos-Duterte tandem won a landslide victory with a strong majority vote of the electorate in recent history.

The official canvass showed Marcos had 31,629,783 votes, while his closest opponent, Vice President Leni Robredo, had 15,035,773.

In the vice presidential race, Duterte was credited with 32,208,417 votes against Sen. Francis Pangilinan’s 9,329,207.

The joint canvanssing committee led by House Majority Leader and Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin G. Romualdez and Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri committee took just two days to finish tabulating 171 out of 173 certificates of canvass (COCs) from 81 provinces and independent cities, and those containing absentee local and overseas Filipinos’ votes.

The canvass proceeded smoothly and expeditiously, Romualdez reported to the joint session of Congress.

Romualdez thanked his colleagues in Congress, including senators, and candidates for a smooth, speedy and transparent canvass of votes for president and vice president.

He expressed his gratitude to all those who participated in the tabulation after the joint House-Senate canvassing committee, which he co-chaired with Zubiri, reported to the two chambers the results of the official count.

At the same time, Romualdez congratulated Marcos and Duterte, who have won the May 9 vote by a landslide.

“Their overwhelming mandate reflects the people’s desire for unity toward progress and development,” Romualdez, Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) President.

He thanked Speaker Lord Allan Velasco and Senate President Vicente Sotto lll for entrusting him and Zubiri with the mandate to lead the canvass.

Romualdez also thanked Zubiri and members of the joint canvassing panel for working long hours to finish the official count.

At the same time, Romualdez expressed his gratitude to Robredo and the other presidential and vice presidential candidates and their lawyers for their invaluable cooperation in the tabulation, which was carried live on social media platforms.

“Their manifestations to no longer challenge the COCs and to recognize the integrity and authenticity of the election results smoothened and expedited our canvass, and allowed the canvassing committee to carry out its mandate from the joint session in so short a time,” he said.

They also “reflected a desire on the part of the candidates to put the divisiveness and animosity of the elections behind us, to move on and to give the national healing and unification process a chance,” Romualdez added.

The House leader stressed that with such laudable gestures, it would help the incoming Marcos administration to carry out its mandate and deliver on its promises. By RYAN PONCE PACPACO