Villar says advocacies, right messaging propelled her to No. 1 in ‘Magic 12’

Cynthia Villar, now reelected Senator, during a campaign sortie in Laoag, Ilocos Norte. INQUIRER.NET PHOTO/CATHY MIRANDA

MANILA, Philippines — Reelected Senator Cynthia Villar has credited her advocacies and the effective messaging that went with it during her campaign for bagging the top spot in the “Magic 12” in this year’s midterm elections.

Villar finished strong with 25,283,727 votes, besting 61 other candidates for senator. Taking the second spot in the winning circle was reelectionist Grace Poe, who garnered 22,029,788 votes. Poe ranked No. 1 in the 2013 senatorial elections.

READ: Final, official count: Villar 1st, Binay 12th in Senate race

“I am happy and thankful for the electorate,” Villar told reporters Wednesday before being formally proclaimed winner by the Commission on Elections, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers, at the PICC Forum on Wednesday.

“They liked my advocacies, (especially) ‘yung ‘hanapbuhay,’ (and) the messaging that came with it,” she added.

Villar also attributed her win to the endorsement of President Rodrigo Duterte and presidential daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio. 

“Popular siya [Duterte] eh. Nahawa tayo sa popularity niya,” she noted.

Villar, who ran under the Nacionalista Party, was among the guest candidates of PDP-Laban, the President’s political party. She was also endorsed by Duterte-Carpio’s regional political party Hugpong ng Pagbabago. (Editor: Katherine G. Adraneda)