Filipino expats cast their votes on the last day of the month-long overseas voting at the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi.-Photo by Ryan Lim/Khaleej Times
Dubai - The daughter of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, Imee Marcos from Nacionalista Party, came in third with 11,662 votes.
Published: Mon 13 May 2019, 9:00 PM
Last updated: Tue 14 May 2019, 12:15 PM
At least 10 out of 12 senatorial candidates endorsed by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte made it to the top 12 of the mid-term elections - deemed as a referendum on his administration - based on partial and unofficial election returns tabulated by Khaleej Times on Monday.
The first seven places were swept by Duterte nominees. Former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Ronald 'Bato' dela Rosa topped the list with 12,724 votes and was closely followed by his close aide, former special assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence 'Bong' Go with 12,268 votes.
The daughter of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, Imee Marcos from Nacionalista Party, came in third with 11,662 votes. Back in 2016, Duterte sparked public outrage when he ordered a hero's burial for the former strongman at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (Heroes' Cemetery).
Pia Cayetano, sister of Duterte's running mate in the 2016 presidential elections, came in fourth place at the Dubai polls with 11,290 votes; followed with 10,073 votes by re-electionist Cynthia Villar, mother of Duterte's secretary for Public Works and Highways.
Former presidential political adviser Francis Tolentino and pro-Duterte senator Sonny Angara came in sixth and seventh places with 9,304 and 7,071 votes, respectively.
Former presidential aspirant and independent candidate Grace Poe, endorsed by the Catholic Church and progressive bloc Makabayang Koalisyon ng Mamamayan (Makabayan), broke the streak of Duterte candidates at eighth place with 6,007 votes.
Two more Duterte candidates, re-electionists Koko Pimentel and JV Ejercito (son of ousted president Joseph Estrada) made it to the Magic 12 at ninth and 11th places with 5,697 and 3,448 votes respectively.
Former Interior and Local Government secretary Raffy Alunan, the last addition to the Duterte's list, came at 10th place with 4,829 votes while re-electionist Nancy Binay, daughter of former vice-president Jejomar Binay, who lost to Duterte in the national elections, grabbed the 12th spot with 2,774 votes.
Only Poe and Binay were not on Duterte's list.
Opposition candidates Bam Aquino, Mar Roxas and Samira Gutoc garnered 2,237, 2,137 and 1,582 votes, respectively while independent candidate Neri Colmenares (Makabayan) got 1,394 votes based on 22 election returns.
Filipino expats in Dubai said Duterte has remained popular despite the controversial policies he launched in the past three years, including his bloody campaign against illegal drugs that has been denounced by human rights advocates globally.
Duterte supporter Conrado Quizon told Khaleej Times that the result "means a vote of confidence for his administration".
But Dubai resident AG Teodoro didn't share the same view. She said: "My senatorial bets are all from the opposition as these candidates have authentic and excellent credentials, and good track record in public service, plus respectable moral character.
"Honesty, decency and integrity do not seem to matter these days but guess what - they should, especially honesty. We need checks and balances when it comes to legislation and need officials who will uphold and fight for the Philippine territorial rights," she underlined.
Kristie Templa-Gonzales, a supporter of Makabayan, added: "Candidates should focus on the rights and welfare of the Filipino people like raising the wages of workers back home, removal of the excise tax, a ban on contractualisation and the abolition of the value-added tax on electricity and water and more importantly, protection for overseas Filipino workers.
The next 12 senators will serve a six-year term.
angel@khaleejtimes.com
Partial and unofficial list of the top 12
1) Bato Dela Rosa (PDP-Laban) - 12,724
2) Bong Go (PDP-Laban) - 12,268
3) Imee Marcos (Nacionalista Party) - 11,662
4 Pia Cayetano (Nacionalista Party) - 11,290
5) Cynthia Villar (Nacionalista Party) - 10,073
6) Francis Tolentino (PDP-Laban) - 9,304
7) Edgardo Sonny Angara (LDP) - 7071
8) Grace Poe (Independent) - 6,007
9) Koko Pimentel (PDP-Laban) - 5,697
10) Raffy Alunan (Bagumbayan Volunteers for New Philippines) - 4,829
11) JV Ejercito (Nationalist People's Coalition) - 3,448
12) Nancy Binay (United Nationalist Alliance) - 2,774
Better turnout this year: Envoys
(by Ashwani Kumar)
Abu Dhabi - The month-long Philippine overseas mid-term elections in the UAE saw better turnout than the previous one, a top envoy said on the last day of voting on Monday.
Philippine Ambassador to the UAE Hjayceelyn M. Quintana said overall turnout was 14 per cent, which was higher than 8.8 per cent recorded in 2013 senatorial election.
According to Philippine consul-general Paul Raymund Cortes, 28,847 or 13.57 per cent of the 209,862 registered voters in Dubai participated in the month-long overseas elections which started on April 13. That was a big leap from the 2013 midterm elections that saw a dismal 6.35 per cent or 3,545 of the 55,842 voters who cast their ballots.
The ambassador said: "Casting your vote is the highest form of patriotism. I am happy with the turnout. I also applaud the effort taken by embassy staff, observers and some 200 volunteers to work tirelessly for last 30 days.
"This was a month-long process but done in a very orderly manner. It was an automated election system and everything went very smooth. The average time taken will be 3 to 5 minutes to select 12 senate members from a total of 62 candidates."
The result, she said, will be officially declared by Tuesday afternoon after the manual votes are collated into SD cards and then inserted into laptop to reflect the overall result.
"One SD card will have 1,000 votes," she said. "Now day-by-day turnout is certified. This is a 10-hour process and results will be out by Tuesday afternoon. This is a very demanding process."
In 2016, when Rodrigo Duterte was elected president, he got 51,879 or 83.5 per cent of the total 62,103 votes cast in Dubai.
ashwani@khaleejtimes.com
iPhone | iPad
Android
Huawei
