Mags Maglana concedes in Davao congressional race, congratulates Paolo Duterte

BUKIDNON, Philippines – Prominent Mindanao-based nongovernment organization worker Maria Victoria “Mags” Maglana conceded on Tuesday, May 10, to reelectionist Davao 1st District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte.

It was a landslide win for the Dutertes in Davao, with Pulong garnering 211,872 votes over Maglana’s 14,101, based on the partial and unofficial count as of 5:12 pm on Tuesday, with 95.32% precincts reporting.

Pulong’s younger brother, Vice Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, had 593,064 votes over former representative Ruy Elias Lopez’s 67,313.

“Congratulations kina Rep. Pulong Duterte and others who are faring well based on the emerging and unofficial results. Mahalaga sa mga leaders ang mandate na makukuha mula sa eleksyon. Pundasyon ito ng kalidad ng relasyon sa pagitan ng mga namumuno at mamamayan,” Maglana wrote on her Facebook wall. 

(Congratulations to Representative Pulong Duterte and the others who are faring well based on the emerging and unofficial results. It is important that leaders get the people’s mandate during the elections. It is the foundation of the quality of the relationship between those who govern and the people.)

But Maglana expressed disappointment over election irregularities her election watchers had monitored on Monday, May 9.

She said many voters were inexplicably delisted and disenfranchised in at least two election precincts in Davao, and the names of people who died within 15 years surfaced in the list.

Maglana also noted that vote-counting machines (VCMs) in at least two clustered precincts were defective and voters were just advised to leave their ballots.

Maglana said a VCM rejected a voter’s ballot several times. Impatient, the voter left without action from those manning the election precinct, she said. 

She said electoral boards in some precincts in the three districts of Davao refused to issue copies of election returns to major political parties, claiming that they were instructed by the Commission on Elections not to furnish copies to major political parties. – Rappler.com

Grace Cantal-Albasin is a Mindanao-based journalist and an awardee of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship.