Robredo supporters hold vigil in Legazpi City

Supporters of Vice President Leni Robredo gather at Peñaranda Park in Legazpi City shortly before midnight on Monday for a prayer vigil in support of the Vice President following reports she is losing the presidential race to frontrunner Ferdinand Marcos Jr. based on unofficial partial count. REY ANTHONY OSTRIA

LEGAZPI CITY—Around 300 supporters of Vice President Leni Robredo have also massed at the Peñaranda Park here for a prayer vigil following reports that she was trailing behind frontrunner Ferdinand Marcos Jr. by a wide margin.

The spontaneous gathering came at the heels of a big gathering of Robredo supporters in her hometown Naga City who were still in disbelief over reports that Marcos Jr. was likely headed for a landslide win.

The latest unofficial count was based on the electronically transmitted results received by the election watchdog Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), which showed that Marcos Jr. has received 25.9 million votes against Robredo’s 12 million votes from 86,651 clustered precincts at about 11:32 p.m. on Monday, representing 80.29 percent of the total number of precincts in the country.

Robredo’s supporters, while saddened by this development, were still hoping she would catch up, noting that returns from her known bailiwicks in Bicol, like Albay province, were still to be transmitted to the Commission on Elections.

The canvassing in Albay was suspended at 11 p.m. on Monday due to lack of returns to canvass.

It will resume at 9 a.m. Tuesday.

Lawyer Calixto Aquino Jr, the provincial canvassing board chairperson, suspended the session because “we have not yet received any election result from the municipal and city board of canvassers.”

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