The Commission on Elections (Comelec),acting as national board of canvassers (NBoC), decided to move the proclamation of the 10th to 12th placers in the senatorial race to Tuesday.

In a media briefing, Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal said the proclamation of the new senators for the remaining three slots in Senate will be held on May 18, 2010 at 10 a.m. at the session hall of the Comelec main office in Intramuros, Manila.

“We are still getting data from some provinces. Then, we have to send out notices to winning candidates and preparations may take some time,” he said when asked by reporters about the cause of delay on the proclamations, which were supposed to be held on Monday, May 17, 2010.

Based on the latest tally released by Comelec, those ranking 10th to 12th in terms of canvassed votes were Sergio Osmena III, 11,312,362; Manuel “Lito” Lapid, 10,573,073; and Teofisto Guingona III with 9,932,278 votes.

The NBoC count showed that Guingona had a lead of 1,115,658 votes over Akbayan Party-list Rep. Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel who was in 13th place.

Talking about the winning party-list group, Larrazabal can't clearly say if they can proclaim it together with the three senators-elect. “I cannot say. It's possible but it still depends on the decision of the commission en banc.”

The NBoC had canvassed votes from 118 out of the 274 certificates of canvass (COCs). It represents 43 percent of the total number of COCs.

Senators Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., garnered 18,753,010 votes; Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, 18,095,381; Miriam Defensor-Santiago, 16,711,852; Franklin Drilon, 15,361,592; Juan Ponce Enrile, 15,026,821; Pilar Juliana “Pia” Cayetano, 13,176,568; Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., 12,597,313; Ralph Recto,11,990,881; and Vicente Sotto III with 11,388,082 votes.

They were proclaimed by Comelec Saturday at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC).

Larrazabal said provinces such as Mt. Province, Lanao del Sur, and Basilan have yet to complete the transmission of 791,132 votes to the NBoC before they complete the line-up of 12 senators.

To recall, some of the areas mentioned by Larrazabal were either placed under Comelec control or were recommended for failure of elections as a result of election-related violence.

In Lanao del Sur, these municipalities were identified as Masiu, Lumba-Bayabao, Lumba-Unayan and Tubaran, after board of election inspectors (BEIs) assigned there failed to show up on election day.