Bam Aquino concedes but vows that love for country won’t end

Sen. Bam Aquino. INQUIRER.net file photo / CATHY MIRANDA

MANILA, Philippines — Opposition Senator Bam Aquino has accepted his defeat in the recently concluded senatorial race.

“Hindi man tayo pinalad na makakuha ng pangalawang termino, hindi mauubos ang pagmamahal ko sa ating mga kababayan at kagustuhang manilbihan sa kapwa, bagkus sa ibang larangan naman,” Aquino said in a statement on Wednesday.

“Napakalaking karangalan ang manilbihan sa taumbayan kaya’t lubus-lubos ang pasasalamat ko sa mga nakatrabaho at sumuporta sa akin sa loob ng anim na taon at sa mga walang pagod na nangampanya nitong nakaraang mga buwan,” he said.

Even before the May 13 elections, Aquino said he already left his fate to God.

“At buo pa rin ang tiwala ko sa Kanyang plano para sa akin at higit sa lahat, para sa ating bayan,” said the senator, whose term will expire on June 30.

Aquino conceded defeat shortly before the proclamation of winners in the senatorial race set at 10:00 am this Wednesday.

Aquino ranked 14th, outside the winning circle, with 14,114,923 votes. He was one of eight senatorial bets of the opposition Otso Diretso.

Another re-electionist senator, JV Ejercito, also failed to make it to the top 12 as he ranked 13th with 14,313,727 votes.

Ejercito’s votes were only about 200,000 votes short of Senator Nancy Binay’s 14,504,936 votes. Binay placed 12th in the senatorial race.