PHILIPPINE news

June 6, 2007 Wednesday

10 Proclaimed Senatorial Winners of May 14, 2007 Election

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) proclaimed 10 winners of the senatorial race Wednesday evening at the PICC building, Pasig City Philippines, after three weeks of vote counting marred by accusations of widespread cheating, with the opposition set to retain its majority in the 24-seat chamber.

The winners of the two remaining contested seats will be announced later, after final results are tallied from the southern Philippines, where the opposition and administration trade accusations of vote-rigging.

But Antonio Trillanes IV and Aquilino Pimentel III, who occupy the 11th and the 12th slots, would only be proclaimed after the last of the final votes were tallied, officials said.

Loren Legarda, a former senator, topped the list of winners, which also include six of her party mates in the Genuine Opposition (GO). Only two came from the administration TEAM Unity -- incumbent Senators Edgardo Angara and Joker Arroyo.

Two independent candidates, Francis Pangilinan and Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan, a former Army colonel freed on bail while fighting allegations of involvement in several coup plots, also won seats.

The 10 Senate race winners are:

1. Loren Legarda -- 18,069,466 votes
2. Francis Escudero -- 17,858,416
3. Panfilo Lacson -- 15,261,999
4. Manuel Villar -- 15,004,714
5. Francis Pangilinan -- 14,229,449
6. Benigno Aquino III -- 14,052,166
7. Edgardo Angara -- 12,187,255
8. Alan Peter Cayetano -- 11,560,083
9. Joker Arroyo -- 11,381,206
10. Gregorio Honasan -- 11,343,606.