MANILA, Philippines — While the official and unofficial counts of the midterm elections have yet to be concluded, Senator Nancy Binay has already claimed the 12th spot in the senatorial race.
Since Wednesday night, Binay said, all her worries have disappeared.
“Ay hindi na, hindi na ako worried (I’m not worried anymore),” she told reporters in an interview at the Senate on Thursday.
In the past few days, she said she opted not to talk to the media because she did not want to be presumptuous.
“Ayaw ko na maging presumptuous na baka hindi pa siguro na sa akin yung 12th spot (I don’t want to be presumptuous because the 12th spot is not mine yet). But you know, I think today I can claim it,” Binay said. “Parang stable na ako doon sa number 12 (I think I’m stable in no. 12).”
The latest unofficial tally of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) puts Binay in the 12th spot with 14,367,041 votes and closely followed by reelectionist Senator JV Ejercito with 14, 135, 659.
In the official and partial tally of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), Ejercito was No. 11 with 6, 079,028 votes while Binay was 12th with 5,959, 885.
Senator Cynthia Villar is leading both the official and unofficial counts.
But based on their computations, Binay said even in the worst case scenario, she would still have more than 200,000 votes lead over Ejercito.
“Actually ang pinakamahirap ngayon kasi nga hindi rin ako pwedeng mag celebrate at talagang ipagsigawan na ako na yung number 12 kasi alam ko kaibigan ko, kasama ko yung hindi makakabalik di ba?” she said, apparently referring to Ejercito.
(The most difficult thing now is I cannot yet celebrate because it’s my friend, my colleague who will not be able to go back to the Senate, right?)
Binay attributed her low ranking in the surveys to lack of machinery and the problems in Makati City.
Her siblings Abby and Jun-Jun ran against each other for the city’s top post. The senator supported Jun-Jun while their father, former Vice President Jejomar Binay, backed Abby, who won another term as Makati mayor. (Editor: Eden Estopace)
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