FILE Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan. (Screen grab/Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines — Like his presidential running mate Vice President Leni Robredo, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan is also not yet backing down from the vice presidential race, saying that a lot of questions remain unanswered, while voting procedures in some precincts are not yet finished.
In a statement, Pangilinan said that he is one with Robredo, who, too, has yet to give up the fight against frontrunner Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. despite his runaway digits in the partial and unofficial tally of the Commission on Election’s transparency server.
“Nakikiisa tayo sa pahayag ni Vice President Leni. Hindi pa tapos ang bilangan. Sa ilang mga presinto, hindi pa tapos ang botohan. May mga tanong tungkol sa proseso na hindi pa nasasagot,” Pangilinan said early Tuesday morning.
“Hindi pa tapos ang ating gawain. Bukas, paggising natin at sa susunod na mga umaga, mahirap pa rin ang ating mga magsasaka at mangingisda. Hindi pa rin makakapangisda sa sarili nating karagatan ang ating mga mandaragat. Ipagtatabuyan pa rin ng China,” he added.
According to Pangilinan, he will continue what he and Robredo has started — a movement centered on volunteerism, aimed at advocating for democracy and good governance.
“Hindi pa tapos ang laban. At dala nating sandata sa laban bukas: ang walang katulad na ginising nating kilusan. Ang kilusan ng bolunterismo, ng bayanihan, ng pakikipagkapwa, ipagpatuloy natin,” the lawmaker said.
“Ipagpatuloy natin ang mga naumpisahan para iangat ang buhay at kabuhayan ng mga magsasaka, mangingisda, at ng lahat ng nasa laylayan – kahanay man o hindi. Ngayon at sa mga susunod na bukas, mas kakailanganin natin ang ginising nating radikal na pagmamahal para sa kapwa Pilipino,”
Pangilinan’s statement came after Vice President Robredo went live on social media to address her supporters and volunteers, thanking them for joining the grassroots movement which has morphed into a People’s Campaign.
READ: Robredo thanks supporters, but she’s not backing down
As of of Tuesday afternoon, the partial and unofficial count from Comelec’s transparency server showed that frontrunner former senator Bongbong Marcos has 30.95 million votes already, way ahead of Robredo’s 14.75 million votes.
Meanwhile, Pangilinan is trailing behind Marcos running mate, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, 9.187 million to 31.39 million.
The lead appears to reflect pre-election surveys from Pulse Asia held last April 16 to 21, where Marcos got 56 percent of the respondents’ votes if elections were held on those days. Robredo on the other hand only had 23 percent of the respondents picking her.
However, the vice presidential race provided a surprise as surveys said Senate President Vicente Sotto III would be second to Duterte-Carpio. Sotto is third with 8.157 million votes.
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