Cayetano: Huge miting de avance turnout sign of Duterte victory

Caption: Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, left, with wife and mayor Lani, speaks to the media after casting his ballot at Sta. Teresa Elementary School in Barangay Bagumbayan, Taguig City. Mark Giongco/INQUIRER.net

The national elections may have just started but there is already clear winner for the Philippine presidency, as far as Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano is concerned.

Cayetano, who is running for vice president, is convinced his presidential running mate Rodrigo Duterte is a cinch to win the post just from the turn out of their camp’s miting de avance last Saturday in contrast to the other candidates’ last-ditch efforts to persuade voters.

“It might even be the most number of people in a miting de avance so that means gusto talaga ng mga tao ng tunay na pagbabago,” Cayetano told INQUIRER.net shortly after casting his ballot at Barangay Bagumbayan in Taguig City Monday.

“Yes,” he said when asked if the mammoth crowd that showed up on Duterte and Cayetano’s final campaign rally serves as a strong indication of the Davao City mayor’s victory. “And it’s also an indication na pag may dayaan, people in Metro Manila and the rest of the country will be willing to rise up.”

An estimate of 300,000 to 600,000 attended Duterte’s gathering, turning Luneta into a sea of red.

In contrast, his closest rival Grace Poe drew an estimated crowd of 3,000 during her last stand at Plaza Miranda in Quiapo district while around 12,000 rallied behind vice president Jejomar Binay in Makati and about 30,000 were present during administration bet Mar Roxas’ rally at Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City, as per the National Capital Region Police Office.

Miriam Defensor-Santiago, a consistent last-placer in voter preferential surveys, had 1,000 attendees in her street party held in West Triangle, Quezon City. CFC