MAN TO BEAT Former Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. casts his ballot at Mariano Marcos Memorial Elementary School in his hometown of Batac City, Ilocos Norte, at around 7:20 a.m. on Monday. He later proceeded to a nearby church. (Photo from the Facebook page of Matthew Marcos Manotoc)
MANILA, Philippines — Presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his running mate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte cast their votes in their bailiwicks on Monday morning.
Marcos, accompanied by his sister Irene, son Sandro, and nephew Gov. Matthew Marcos Manotoc, arrived at Mariano Marcos Memorial Elementary School in Batac City at around 7:12 a.m. By 7:20 a.m., Marcos already cast his vote.
Marcos’ sister, Irene, and their nephew, lawyer Michael Marcos Manotoc, voted at the same time.
The former senator declined to give an interview to the reporters waiting for him outside his polling precinct and instead visited the Immaculate Conception Parish, where he was joined by his mother.
The family’s 92-year-old matriarch, former first lady Imelda Marcos, arrived to vote at the same polling precinct, accompanied by Matthew and Irene.
For his part, Duterte cast her vote at Daniel R. Aguinaldo National High School in Matina, Davao City, past 9 a.m.
The president’s daughter, who was accompanied by husband lawyer Manases Carpio, signed the desk that she used for voting.
President Rodrigo Duterte also did the same in 2016.
‘Cracks’
Although Marcos is expected to win in his bailiwick in this election, volunteers for his rival candidate, Leni Robredo, were anticipating that the outgoing vice president would obtain a significant number of votes in the province.
Robredo’s volunteers in Ilocos Norte actively campaigned for her, going house to house, which observers said created “cracks” in the so-called Solid North.
There were at least 400,000 registered voters in Ilocos Norte based on records of the Commission on Elections.
In Tarlac province, former Sen. Bam Aquino, the campaign manager of Robredo, cast his vote at South Central Elementary School in Concepcion town after two hours of waiting in line.
Former presidential sisters Ballsy Cruz and Pinky Abellada, the siblings of the late President Benigno Aquino III, also cast their votes in Tarlac. Both were registered at precinct 0175A of Central Elementary School in Barangay Central, Tarlac City.
They said their youngest sister, actress Kris Aquino, could not cast her vote since she remained ill.
—WITH REPORTS FROM MARIA ADELAIDA CALAYAG AND TONETTE OREJAS
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