11 senatorial bets not No. 1 in bailiwicks

Michael Bueza

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

When somebody becomes too popular and ends up topping the count in most provinces, the No. 1 spot in one’s perceived bailiwick becomes even more coveted


MANILA, Philippines – Ask any losing senatorial candidate what he considers as one of the biggest consolations in a race, and most likely he will say, topping the polls in his home province or city.

In the case of winning bets, this makes victory even sweeter.

Filipino voters, after all, tend to vote for those who have established links to their localities.

And as in any senatorial elections, when somebody becomes too popular and ends up topping the count in most provinces – Grace Poe, for example – the No. 1 spot in one’s home province or perceived bailiwick becomes even more coveted.

Rappler tracked the performance of senatorial candidates and found out that:

  • Nine bets won in their home provinces and cities. Four of them made it to the Top 12 in the national count.
  • Eleven candidates didn’t capture the top spot in their home provinces and cities, or in their places of birth or voter’s registration.

Holding fort

Re-elected senators Francis Escudero and Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano topped the polls in Sorsogon province and Taguig City, respectively.

Among House members who sought a Senate seat, only two topped in their constituencies: Aurora Rep. Sonny Angara and Cagayan Rep. Jack Enrile. In the Comelec canvass Angara placed 6th overall, while Enrile was only at the 15th spot.

Three other candidates handily won in areas where their relatives are incumbent officials: Cynthia Villar in Las Piñas, Juan Miguel Zubiri in Bukidnon, and Bro. Eddie Villanueva in Bocaue, Bulacan. Among them, only Villar entered the Top 12.

A former representative of Las Piñas City, Villar is the wife of outgoing Senator Manuel Villar. Their son, Mark Villar, won a second term as congressman there. Villar’s brother, Vergel Aguilar, also won a fresh 3-year term as city mayor.

Zubiri is a former Senator from Bukidnon, where his father, Jose Ma. Zubiri Jr., has just been re-elected governor. His brother, Jose Zubiri III, is the province’s 3rd district representative.

Villanueva is the father of re-elected Bocaue, Bulacan, Mayor Eduardo Villanueva Jr.

Apart from topping the senatorial race in Zambales, Gordon also grabbed the top spot in Olongapo City, where he was mayor from 1980 to 1986.

Independent candidate Edward Hagedorn placed first in Puerto Princesa City, where he has been mayor since 1992, except for a 17-month hiatus from July 2001 to November 2002. His brother Douglas won the congressional race, while Edward’s wife Ellen, and nephew Mark lost in the mayoral and vice mayoral race.

Here’s the list of senatorial candidates who topped the count in their known strongholds:

Bailiwick Results
Aurora 1 Angara, Sonny 68,174
2 Poe, Grace 48,720
Bocaue, Bulacan* 1 Villanueva, Bro. Eddie 23,321
2 Poe, Grace 22,946
Bukidnon 1 Zubiri, Migz 373,047
2 Poe, Grace 179,890
Cagayan 1 Enrile, Jack 282,400
2 Binay, Nancy 244,359
Las Piñas City 1 Villar, Cynthia 133,015
2 Poe, Grace 123,054
Palawan 1 Hagedorn, Edward 247,429
2 Legarda, Loren 152,527
Sorsogon 1 Escudero, Chiz 235,410
2 Poe, Grace 165,615
Taguig-Pateros 1 Cayetano, Alan Peter 155,140
2 Poe, Grace 153,377
Zambales 1 Gordon, Dick 215,072
2 Poe, Grace 208,679
* – Based on partial and unofficial count by COMELEC as of May 20, 12:30 PM

 

The Poe factor

Four candidates lost the top spot in their bailiwicks to Poe:

  • Re-electionist Loren Legarda finished second in her home city of Malabon.
  • JV Ejercito trailed Poe by a few votes in San Juan City, where he is the outgoing congressman and where his mother, Guia Gomez, won a second term as mayor.
  • Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV came in only 2nd in Tarlac, while Margarita “Tingting” Cojuangco, who was governor there from 1992 to 1998, placed 15th.
  • In Makati City, Nancy Binay placed only 3rd to Poe and Richard Gordon. Makati has been ruled by the Binays since 1986.

No hometown heroes?

Three re-elected senators performed below expectation in their bailiwicks. Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV placed 6th in Caloocan City, where he currently resides.

Sen. Gregorio Honasan II is on the 8th spot in Baguio City, his place of birth. He didn’t top the vote either in Sorsogon, which is considered his home province.

Cojuangco, who registered in Maguindanao for this election, didn’t get the highest vote in that province. She’s a former governor of Tarlac and a known resident of Makati.

Here’s the list of senatorial candidates who didn’t end up No. 1 in their known bailiwicks:

Bailiwick/Hometown Results
Baguio City 1 Cayetano, Alan Peter 60,538
8 Honasan, Gringo 52,727
Cagayan de Oro City 1 Zubiri, Migz 133,506
3 Pimentel, Koko 113,779
Caloocan City 1 Poe, Grace 316,093
6 Trillanes, Antonio 237,642
Maguindanao 1 Binay, Nancy 146,554
11 Cojuangco, Tingting 90,938
Makati City 1 Poe, Grace 166,987
3 Binay, Nancy 165,666
Malabon City 1 Poe, Grace 92,380
2 Legarda, Loren 84,111
San Juan City 1 Poe, Grace 32,120
2 Ejercito, JV 30,870
Tarlac 1 Poe, Grace 337,069
2 Aquino, Bam 329,928
15 Cojuangco, Tingting 169,769
Zambales 1 Gordon, Dick 215,072
4 Magsaysay, Jun 165,440
6 Magsaysay, Mitos 161,193
24 Delos Reyes, JC 19,566

 – Rappler.com

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Michael Bueza

Michael is a data curator under Rappler's Tech Team. He works on data about elections, governance, and the budget. He also follows the Philippine pro wrestling scene and the WWE. Michael is also part of the Laffler Talk podcast trio.