Social media personality Diwata, also known as Deo Balbuena, addressed critics who seemed to take pleasure in the loss of the Vendors party-list in the recent elections. Despite the negative reactions, Diwata remained composed and expressed gratitude to supporters.
During a Facebook Live session, the viral paresan owner openly responded to the online taunts. “’Talo ka Diwata,’ eh ano naman ngayon?” Diwata remarked, emphasizing that not every endeavor ends in victory. “That’s just how it is – not everyone wins. It just means it’s not meant for us. Just relax, chill,” he said.
Although admitting some disappointment, Diwata stressed that their mission to support vendors and small businesses would continue despite the election loss. “We accept the result. But even if we didn’t win, our commitment to helping remains. Whether in the store or beyond, we will continue to serve vendors like me,” he affirmed.
Meanwhile, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) proclaimed the 53 party-list groups that garnered the most votes in the midterm elections. Leading the list is Akbayan party-list with 2,779,621 votes, followed by Duterte Youth and Tingog, each projected to secure the maximum three seats.
However, the final allocation of seats in the House of Representatives remains subject to the final decision of the Comelec. The fate of Duterte Youth’s seats is still uncertain due to a pending case challenging their registration, which allegedly violated the Party-List System Act of 1995.
Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia also revealed that two party-lists were not included in the proclamation due to pending legal issues. “We have two party-lists who will not be proclaimed, as the National Board of Canvassers suspended their proclamation because of their pending cases,” Garcia explained during a press conference.
In total, 50 other party-list groups are expected to secure seats in the 20th Congress of the Philippines.
