By the numbers: Positions up for grabs in 2022 polls
By Martha Teodoro
With the 2022 polls coming up, the Commission on Elections has recently released the number of elective positions. A total of 325 national positions and 17,762 local positions are for the taking this coming elections.
To be elected for national positions are the president and vice president. Twelve senators will be ending their term and these seats will also be up for grab by May 2022.
Meanwhile, there are 249 seats available for members of the House of Representatives as each district will be voted for their representative. Sixty two seats will be available for party-lists.
For party-list representatives, a party-list group must get at least 2% of the total number of votes cast in the party-list race to be entitled to at least one seat in the House of Representatives. Additional seats can be obtained through a formula dependent on the number of votes garnered.
Those who fail to reach the 2% threshold may still get a seat given that the law provides that 20% of the members of the House of Representatives should come from party-list groups.
For the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao elections, local seats include 40 party representatives, thirty parliamentary district representatives and 10 reserved seats and sectoral representatives.
However, the Senate has approved for second reading the postponement of the BARMM elections from 2022 to 2025 to synchronize with the 2025 midterm elections.
Comelec Resolution No. 10713 likewise recommends: “(T)he allocation of elective positions for the BARMM parliamentary elections cannot yet be determined at this point due to the unavailability of the Bangsamoro Electoral Code.” Unavailability of details include the apportionment of the BARMM into parliamentary districts, manner of election of the reserved and electoral seats and treatment of the 63 barangays in North Cotabato for the purpose of the election.
At the same time, Comelec has determined Sept. 30 as the deadline for voter registration. And to further encourage registration, the poll body has entered into an agreement with SM malls for the conduct of voter registration activities inside its commercial establishments.
