Robredo widens gap with Marcos in VP race

MANILA, Philippines – Make that double.

 

As we enter the final nine percent of election results to be transmitted, Camarines Sur representative and Liberal Party bet Leni Robredo has increased her lead over Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. by 185,173 votes in the vice presidential race.

 

In the Commission on Elections' unofficial and partial tally, Robredo is still the leading candidate with 13,426,097 votes. 

 

Not far behind is the son of the ousted strongman, Bongbong, who has amassed 13,240,924 nods, or 34.56 percent of the counted votes. 

 

In our update on the unofficial results early Tuesday morning, Robredo only had 80,980 votes over Marcos.

 

As of 1 p.m., the PPCRV reported 91.33-percent vote transmission, a vast improvement from 76 percent on the day following elections in 2013. 

 

Prior the elections, Comelec chair Andy Bautista said that the polling body was eyeing a 90-percent transmission rate.

 

On Tuesday afternoon, LP standard-bearer Manuel"Mar"  Roxas II conceded defeat to PDP-Laban's Rodrigo Duterte for the country's premiere seat, but also said that the fight is not over.

 

"Hindi pa tapos ang laban ni Leni. Angat siya, lumalaban siya," Roxas said.  "Patuloy tayong magbantay, manalig at sumouporta, siguraduhin nating mabibilang ng tama ang kaniyang boto."

 

Roxas wasn't the only presidentiable to acknowledge defeat. Sen. Grace Poe made a graceful exit in a presser late Monday night.

 

"Ako si Grace Poe, nagbibigay-daan kay Rodrigo Duterte na siyang napili ng nakakarami," Poe said.

 

Vice President Jejomar Binay and Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago have yet to acknowledge defeat. They are respectively ranked fourth and fifth in the race.