MANILA, Philippines – Their biggest campaigner was no less than the President himself.

But in President Benigno Aquino III’s hometown of Tarlac province, administration standard-bearer Manuel “Mar” Roxas II and running mate Leni Robredo won by only a few thousand votes over their rivals.

Based on the official canvassing of the National Board of Canvassers on Wednesday, May 25, Roxas won by only 9,056 votes over his closest rival Senator Grace Poe, whom Aquino and the ruling Liberal Party courted to be their vice presidential bet. Roxas had 194,974 votes while Poe received 185,918.

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte was not far behind either, with 159,187 votes.

Vice President Jejomar Binay and Miriam Defensor Santiago, for their part, received 41,177 and 17,675 votes, respectively.

In the vice presidential race, Robredo won against Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr by only 29,590 votes in the so-called Aquino country. Robredo got 243,756 votes while Marcos had 214,166.

They were followed by senators Francis Escudero with 75,224 votes, Alan Peter Cayetano with 31,821 votes, Antonio Trillanes IV with 20,715 votes, and Gregorio Honasan II with 7,884 votes.

Based on the partial and unofficial results of the Commission on Elections, North and Central Luzon were solid behind Marcos except Tarlac, the hometown of the Aquinos, the perceived longtime rivals of the Marcoses. 

Ro-Ro win in Albay

Meanwhile, in the province of Albay, Roxas and Robredo won over their rivals, despite the last-minute pullout of Governor Joey Salceda from the Liberal Party. Salceda left the LP to support Poe and Escudero’s bid.

Roxas garnered 221,778 votes. This, however, was only 200 votes ahead of his closest opponent Poe, who got 221,578 votes.

Roxas and Poe were followed by Duterte with 80,361, Binay with 63,144, and Santiago with 15,595 votes.

In the vice presidential race, Robredo received 380,745 votes – well ahead of the 117,112 votes of Escudero, another Bicolano.

They were followed by Marcos with 42,324 votes, Cayetano with 23,713 votes, Trillanes with 17,095 votes, and Honasan with 7,434 votes. – Rappler.com