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Friday, Dec 12, 2025
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Leila de Lima's Proclamation as Congresswoman Proceeding Amid Legal Challenges
The Commission on Elections confirms the former senator's proclamation despite a recent Court of Appeals ruling reversing her acquittal in a drug case.
The proclamation of former Senator Leila de Lima as the first nominee of the Mamamayang Liberal (ML) party-list will proceed, as confirmed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in the Philippines.
This announcement follows the recent ruling by the Court of Appeals (CA) which reversed a lower court's decision to acquit de Lima in an ongoing drug case against her.
Despite the appeal court's ruling, Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia stated that there is no reason to suspend de Lima's impending proclamation, emphasizing that she has not been 'convicted with finality.' Therefore, her legal issues do not bar her from assuming a government position.
De Lima's party-list secured 547,949 votes in the recent May 12, 2025 elections.
The Comelec has scheduled the proclamation for the winning party-list groups to occur on Monday, May 19.
In related electoral developments, the Comelec announced the forthcoming proclamation of twelve senatorial candidates who were victorious in the midterm elections.
This event will take place on Saturday, May 17, at the Manila Hotel Tent City.
According to the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) tally, incumbent Senator Christopher 'Bong' Go topped the senatorial race with 27,121,073 votes, the highest in the history of senatorial elections in the Philippines.
Following him are Bam Aquino and Ronald dela Rosa, with 20,971,899 and 20,773,946 votes respectively.
Additionally, the Comelec has confirmed that the final tally of 175 certificates of canvass (COC) for the midterm elections has been completed in just three days, marking the fastest canvassing period in the country's election history.
However, the results are still subject to auditing and are not yet finalized.
The Comelec is also scheduled to announce the winning party-list groups on May 19. Leading the party-list elections is the Akbayan group, which garnered 2,779,621 votes, with notable performances from other groups such as Duterte Youth and Tingog party-list.
Legal challenges are also emerging in provincial elections, with former Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal claiming victory in the gubernatorial election for Albay against incumbent Congressman Joey Salceda, despite Rosal's past disqualification by the Comelec due to election code violations.
Rosal received 425,718 votes, narrowly defeating Salceda.
Meanwhile, the legislative landscape is witnessing maneuvering for the Senate presidency, with senator-elect Vicente Sotto III acknowledging discussions initiated by several senators regarding support for his potential leadership.
In a separate realm of governance, the Philippines has initiated cooperative agreements with South Korea to enhance collaboration in trade and energy sectors, a move underscoring both nations’ commitment to economic development and sustainable practices.
The memorandum of understanding aims to bolster initiatives in renewable energy, electric vehicles, and critical mineral processing for battery production.
This agreement reflects the Philippines' strategic outlook ahead of its upcoming ASEAN chairmanship.
This announcement follows the recent ruling by the Court of Appeals (CA) which reversed a lower court's decision to acquit de Lima in an ongoing drug case against her.
Despite the appeal court's ruling, Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia stated that there is no reason to suspend de Lima's impending proclamation, emphasizing that she has not been 'convicted with finality.' Therefore, her legal issues do not bar her from assuming a government position.
De Lima's party-list secured 547,949 votes in the recent May 12, 2025 elections.
The Comelec has scheduled the proclamation for the winning party-list groups to occur on Monday, May 19.
In related electoral developments, the Comelec announced the forthcoming proclamation of twelve senatorial candidates who were victorious in the midterm elections.
This event will take place on Saturday, May 17, at the Manila Hotel Tent City.
According to the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) tally, incumbent Senator Christopher 'Bong' Go topped the senatorial race with 27,121,073 votes, the highest in the history of senatorial elections in the Philippines.
Following him are Bam Aquino and Ronald dela Rosa, with 20,971,899 and 20,773,946 votes respectively.
Additionally, the Comelec has confirmed that the final tally of 175 certificates of canvass (COC) for the midterm elections has been completed in just three days, marking the fastest canvassing period in the country's election history.
However, the results are still subject to auditing and are not yet finalized.
The Comelec is also scheduled to announce the winning party-list groups on May 19. Leading the party-list elections is the Akbayan group, which garnered 2,779,621 votes, with notable performances from other groups such as Duterte Youth and Tingog party-list.
Legal challenges are also emerging in provincial elections, with former Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal claiming victory in the gubernatorial election for Albay against incumbent Congressman Joey Salceda, despite Rosal's past disqualification by the Comelec due to election code violations.
Rosal received 425,718 votes, narrowly defeating Salceda.
Meanwhile, the legislative landscape is witnessing maneuvering for the Senate presidency, with senator-elect Vicente Sotto III acknowledging discussions initiated by several senators regarding support for his potential leadership.
In a separate realm of governance, the Philippines has initiated cooperative agreements with South Korea to enhance collaboration in trade and energy sectors, a move underscoring both nations’ commitment to economic development and sustainable practices.
The memorandum of understanding aims to bolster initiatives in renewable energy, electric vehicles, and critical mineral processing for battery production.
This agreement reflects the Philippines' strategic outlook ahead of its upcoming ASEAN chairmanship.
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