Aquino garnered a total of 5,787 votes, or 38.28 percent of the 15,117 total votes cast in the unofficial poll which ended at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 19.
In close second is the late Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo, who died when his plane crashed off Masbate province in August last year, with 5,026 votes, or 33.25 percent, of the total votes cast.
The unofficial poll, which started on Jan. 15, 2013, asked readers this question: ‘Who do you think should be the Inquirer’s Filipino of the Year 2012?’ It then asked readers to select one from the names nominated by the Inquirer editors and deskmen.
In addition to President Aquino and Robredo, those nominated were:
Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle (1,637 votes, or 10.83 percent), Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago (703, or 4.65 percent), the late ‘Comedy King’ Dolphy (468, or 3.10 percent), and Senate president Juan Ponce Enrile (392, or 2.59 percent).
The others nominated were Government and MILF peace negotiating panels, Filipino women, Senator Pia Cayetano, Kevin Balot, Rep. Edcel Lagman, and Cris Valdez.