May 12 ------ The camp of Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) standard-bearer Bongbong Marcos has claimed victory in the May 2022 Palace race.
“With 98 percent of the votes counted, and an unassailable lead of over 16 million votes, the Filipino people have spoken decisively,” read a statement on May 11 from Marcos spokesperson and chief-of-staff lawyer Vic Rodriguez. “Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will be the 17th President of the Philippines. In historic numbers, the people have used their democratic vote to unite our nation,” Rodriguez said. Marcos is leading by an astounding 16 million votes over his closest rival, opposition standard-bearer Vice president Leni Robredo based on partial and unofficial results.
“This is a victory for all Filipinos, and for democracy. To those who voted for Bongbong, and those who did not, it is his promise to be a president for all Filipinos. To seek common ground across political divides, and to work together to unite the nation,” Rodriguez said. He further said that UniTeam bet Marcos “looks forward to working across the Philippines, and with international partners and organizations, to address critical issues facing the country, and to begin delivering for the Filipino people”. “To the world, he says: Judge me not by my ancestors, but by my actions,” Rodriguez said of the Ilocano candidate.
Later during a press conference at the BBM (Bongbong Marcos) headquarters in Mandaluyong City, Rodriguez clarified that Marcos himself hasn’t declared victory. It’s not in Marcos’s character to assume victory if the counting of votes isn’t 100 percent finished, he said. “But this morning, when I last looked It’s 98.25 percent of total ballots counted, so I took the liberty to say that he is indeed indisputably the president-elect and Inday Sara Duterte is the vice president-elect,” Rodriguez said.
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, the presidential daughter, served as Marcos’s running mate in the polls. She’s similarly en route to a majority vote victory. The two chambers of Congress (House of Representatives and Senate), acting as the National Board of Canvassers, will be the ones to officially declare the victors in the presidential and vice presidential contests. The lawmakers won’t convene until May 23.
Source: mb.com.ph