Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri on Wednesday night assured that the Senate and House of Representatives did not “sacrifice transparency” nor authenticity when it canvassed the votes for president and vice president in the recently held May 9, 2022 elections.

Both houses of Congress, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers, was able to proclaim Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. and Sara Duterte-Carpio as the country’s new President and Vice President following a joint public session that took only two days to finish.

Zubiri, who was one of the members who became part of the Senate contingent to the NBOC, said this year’s canvassing “is the fastest in our nation’s history of elections, and another milestone for PH Congress.”

“The result of this election is historical in several ways. First, it has the highest number of votes cast in our nation’s election history. With an 82 percent voter turnout...” Zubiri said in his sponsorship speech.

“Second, since the 1987 Constitution, this is the first time that we elected a majority president and vice president—a phenomenon indeed in a multi-party system under a presidential republican government,”

“And third, the canvassing of Congress in joint public session took only two days to finish. And I would like to take note that this cavnassing is the fastest in our nation’s history of elections. Another milestone for the Philippine Congress,” Zubiri added.

However, Zubiri emphasized “we did not sacrifice transparency and the authenticity of the results for a speedy count.”

“The process was hastened due to several factors: early on in the canvassing of the joint committee, we appreciate the manifestation of the counsels of several presidential and vice presidential candidates. Notably, the counsel for vice president Leni Robredo, a presidential candidate who manifested that they have a continuing manifestation that they interposed no objection for the canvassing of all COCs (Certificates of Canvass) brought before us in this body,” he said.

Zubiri also commended how the counsel of vice presidential candidate Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan and presidential candidate Mayor Isko Moreno did the same manifestation.

“That ladies and gentlemen was a magnificent show of statesmanship on their part and we sincerely thank them for that. It shows the importance of uniting as a people and healing the emotional wounds brought about by this very emotionally-charged election,” Zubiri stressed.