Digong win a done deal; Leni still ahead

MANILA, Philippines – The search for the next president is a done deal. But not the same could be said for the vice president.

 

In an update by the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) Wednesday morning, presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte has already built an insurmountable lead, making him a guaranteed winner in the 2016 elections. 

 

The Davao City mayor and PDP-Laban bet has garnered 15,829,059 votes. Far second is Mar Roxas, who collected 9,650,776 and has already conceded defeat.

 

The vice presidential race between Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo and Sen. Bongbong Marcos, though, is still too close to call. 

 

Robredo is ahead of Marcos, but only by 225,326 votes. The former's votes are penciled at 13,943,334  or 35.13-percent share of the total votes in the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Transparency Server.  Marcos clings to 13,718,008 or 34.57 percent, according to the 10:30 a.m. update.

 

Late Tuesday, Duterte acknowledged the people's will, saying  "It's with humility, extreme humility, that I accept this, the mandate of the people," 

 

"What I can promise you is that I will do my very best not just in my waking hours but even in my sleep," he added.

 

Marcos, whose son drew flak for alleging cheating in the vice presidential tally, asked on Tuesday the Comelec and the PPCRV to stop the unofficial canvassing of votes, claiming that glitches affected his lead.

 

Earlier on Wednesday, Comelec Chair Andy Bautista noted that the results speak for themselves.

 

In a separate report, Robredo said that the allegations were unfair. "When I was trailing, I never made allegations that the front-runners were cheating," she said.

 

Robredo's numbers took over Marcos in the partial and unofficial count around 3:30 a.m. of May 10.  The Camarines Sur representative edged the senator with only 575 votes. 

 

Robredo has never trailed since then.