US congratulates Pinoys on elections

MANILA, Philippines — The US embassy in Manila yesterday congratulated Filipinos on the completion of the 2019 midterm elections.

“The campaigning and turnout for the elections are a testament to the Philippines’ vibrant democracy,” the embassy said in a statement. 

The embassy reiterated the Philippines and the United States’ enduring alliance, strengthened by shared commitment to democratic values and institutions.

On his Twitter account, US Ambassador Sung Kim congratulated the Filipinos for the successful elections.

“I congratulate the Filipinos on their successful elections and look forward to partnering with your newly elected senators, representatives and provincial and local leaders,” Kim said.

Administration candidates dominate the Senate race. The overwhelming poll victory of senatorial candidates endorsed by President Duterte and his daughter Sara was a “vote of confidence” in his administration, a returning administration congressman said yesterday.

“The outstanding showing of President Duterte and Mayor Sara’s senatorial candidates only affirmed the solid support of majority of Filipino people to the President,” re-elected Leyte congressman Martin Romualdez said. 

“The people have witnessed President Duterte’s clean, accountable and transparent government. The President is a no-nonsense action man and very much determined to address graft and corruption. He issues orders without alibis,” he added.

Romualdez, who is vying for the speakership in the incoming 18th Congress, stressed the 9-3 Senate turnout was definitely a “vote of confidence and affirmation of people’s continued strong support to President Duterte’s good governance.” The next Congress convenes in July and ends in 2022. Romualdez is president of Lakas-CMD, which is an ally of the administration. He is also president of the Philippine Constitution Association.

He said Filipinos are more satisfied with Duterte than with any other government official because he knows how to deal with various concerns and listens to ordinary folks.

“Marunong bumaba sa tao si President Duterte (The President knows how to interact with the masses). He is not an elite type. He is always in touch with the ordinary people and there is a stable electoral democracy under his administration,” Romualdez, a former three-term congressman, added.

With the Senate poised to be dominated by administration allies, President Duterte will no longer be a weak leader in his remaining three years in office, Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte said.

“President Duterte has bucked the conventional wisdom of an incumbent chief executive turning less popular and into a political lame duck after the midterm polls on his or her watch,” Villafuerte said.

“The results are actually not surprising if we are to take into consideration the fact that President Duterte’s approval and trust ratings remain at record high levels at this time when his predecessors saw their ratings rapidly decline during this same midterm period,” he said.

Unlike presidents before him, the former mayor of Davao City would remain as the “most dominant force in Philippine politics” until he leaves office on June 30, 2022, Villafuerte said.

He added the apparent opposition shutout in the senatorial race “is a resounding vote of confidence in President Duterte that will give him a fresh mandate to push further reforms and initiatives to sustain the growth momentum and reduce poverty incidence to just 14 percent by 2022.”

“The election results show that the people want the Senate to remain supportive of the reforms and initiatives that the President wants to push in the incoming 18th Congress in support of his inclusive growth agenda,” he stressed.

He pointed out that the victory of former presidential special assistant Bong Go and former Philippine National Police chief Ronald dela Rosa “is glaring proof of the overwhelming support of the electorate for the President.”

He noted that other Duterte personal senatorial choices, including former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Francis Tolentino, are in the Top 10 of the preliminary tally. – With Delon Porcalla, Jess Diaz