MANILA, Philippines – Months after saying that the election was the only poll whose results he would accept, longtime senator and 2022 presidential candidate Panfilo Lacson lost his second presidential bid to former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., who showed a commanding lead with 58% of the vote.

As of Tuesday, May 10, Lacson had 880,568 votes or 1.67% of the votes against presumptive president and dictator son Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s, based on the Commission on Elections transparency server.

Lacson has yet to deliver a concession speech, but nonetheless admitted defeat as he announced plans to enjoy “peace and quiet” after decades in government. 

“I’m going home. After being away too long looking after the needs of other people, it is time to serve my family for a change,” Lacson tweeted shortly after dawn.  “Enjoying peace and quiet in these challenging times will probably be my life’s greatest reward.”

This is the second time that Lacson lost the presidency. The first one was in 2004.

During the campaign period, he registered low numbers in surveys. In interviews, he said that the surveys only showed a picture but not the reality of the Filipino vote. survey laggard

Lacson banked on his praised performances in forums organized by both the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and news organizations, but his numbers still failed to rise past 10%.

The tallied votes have so far reflected his survey performance, lagging behind his competitors who are decades his junior in public service. One of them was leading candidate Marcos Jr., with whom Lacson served in the Senate from 2010 to 2013. 

Throughout the campaign, Lacson has been reserved in criticizing Marcos Jr., upholding a vow he made with his running mate Senate President Vicente Sotto III that they will not comment on other candidates.

In his campaign, Lacson said that he would gladly offer his “final years” in politics serving in the highest position of the country. Like his other messages, the appeal did not resonate with enough Filipinos to make his wish come true.

Lacson was elected to the Senate in 2016 and is set to bow out of the chamber after the elections.

In 2004, he ran for president for the first time and lost to then-president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and popular actor Fernando Poe Jr. – with a report from Sofia Tomacruz/Rappler.com