MANILA, Philippines – Team PNoy bets are trouncing their rivals in the 10 most vote-rich provinces, in what is now an emerging trend based on early tallies.

Combined, these vote-rich provinces have 16 million registered voters, a third of the country’s 52 million.

Partial and unofficial results from the Rappler Mirror Server early Tuesday, May 14, show Team Pnoy occupying 8-9 spots in Cavite (1.6 M), Bulacan (1.4 M), Nueva Ecija (1.2 M), Laguna (1.4 M), Rizal (1.2 M), Pangasinan (1.6 M), Batangas (1.3) and Davao del Sur (1.4 M).

Ten of its bets are winning in Cebu (2.5 M) and Negros Occidental (1.5 M).

Early frontrunners Grace Poe, the former censors chief, and re-electionist senators Loren Legarda and Francis Escudero — all initial shared candidates of Team PNoy and the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) — were the most-voted candidates in Cavite, Laguna, Batangas and Rizal.

Cebu, a perceived opposition bailiwick, failed to deliver for UNA as only two of its bets — Vice President Jejomar Binay’s daughter Nancy Binay and resigned senator Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri — broke into the “Magic 12” there. Team PNoy’s senatorial candidates — re-electionist Sen Alan Peter Cayetano, Bam Aquino, Poe, Legarda and Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III — were occupying the top 5 places in the province.

Outside the National Capital Region, Cebu has the highest number of registered voters: 2.5 million. 

Among the UNA candidates, Binay, JV Ejercito, son of former President and Manila mayor-elect Joseph Estrada, and re-electionist Sen Gregorio Honasan were among the top 12 most-voted bets in the 10 most vote-rich provinces. Former senator Richard Gordon was closely trailing them. 

Other senatorial bets making a strong showing in the vote-rich provinces are: 

The results of the senatorial race in these provinces reveal some interesting insights.

Cebu: Aquino country

Despite the influence of the Garcia political clan, that has controlled local politics in Cebu for the past 18 years, the province proved to be an Aquino stronghold.

Aquino and running mate Mar Roxas won in Cebu in 2010 with 980,000 and 1 million votes, respectively, through the backing of the local Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan.

The province has been the source of opposition concern following the suspension last year of Gov Gwen Garcia, a member of UNA. The administration groomed Hilario Davide III from the Liberal Party to take over Garcia’s post. Based on initial and unofficial results, Davide is poised to become the new governor of Cebu.

Cavite, Batangas, Laguna and Rizal, the 4 vote-rich provinces under Region IV-A, went for Aquino and Binay in the 2010 presidential elections, but this year they showed that they are more for Aquino than Binay as more Team PNoy candidates dominated the top 12 slots.

Except for Batangas, where Team PNoy senatorial bets led by 9-3, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal voted in favor of Team PNoy, 8-4.

The Team PNoy candidates’ strong showing in Laguna and Cavite came about despite the fact that the incumbent governors in these provinces belong to UNA.

Laguna Gov and re-electionist ER Ejercito campaigned for his UNA partymates in Laguna, where he is running against LP member Edgar San Luis. In Cavite, incumbent Gov Jonvic Remulla ran against the Liberal Party’s Erineo “Ayong” Maliksi. Remulla is overwhemlingly leading in polls as of posting time. – Rappler.com

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