Remote Lanao del Norte town votes only for Robredo

ILIGAN CITY, Philippines – In the town of Pantao Ragat, in the highlands of Lanao del Norte province, none of Vice President Leni Robredo’s political rivals got any votes.

Pantao Ragat residents voted overwhelmingly for Robredo, giving her 9,842 votes, based on the partial, unofficial results aggregated from Commission on Elections (Comelec) data as of 1:17 pm on Wednesday, May 11.

Presumptive president Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, senators Manny Pacquiao and Panfilo Lacson, and the rest of the presidential bets failed to win even a single vote in the town.

Even Maranao presidential bet Faisal Mangondato did not get any votes in the predominantly Muslim town.

Pantao Ragat was among the last places visited by Robredo on May 4 before the campaign period ended.

The election result there was in sharp contrast with the rest of the Northern Mindanao and Caraga regions, where Robredo fared badly despite her being endorsed by top local politicians.

In Cagayan de Oro, where Mayor Oscar Moreno and reelected 2nd District Representative Rufus Rodriguez endorsed Robredo, residents overwhelmingly voted for Marcos Jr., with 233,325 votes compared to Robredo’s 33,780 votes.

In Misamis Oriental, where the gubernatorial race rivals Moreno and 2nd District Representative Juliette Uy endorsed the vice president, Robredo placed third with 58,306 votes, below Pacquiao’s 76,766 votes. The province gave Marcos Jr. 386,706 votes.

Another Robredo endorser, Agusan del Norte Representative Lawrence Fortun, was not able to deliver for Robredo either. She garnered only 21,689 votes in the province against Marcos Jr.’s 116,154.

It was only in Agusan del Sur where Robredo was able to put up a good fight with the endorsement of Representative Eddiebong Plaza. But it was still not enough. Robredo garnered 144,176 votes compared to Marcos Jr.’s 152,029 in the province.

Robredo also fared badly in Surigao del Norte with only 44,578 votes compared to Marcos Jr.’s 219,284.

She also placed third in Surigao del Sur, next to Pacquiao. – Rappler.com

Froilan Gallardo is a Mindanao-based journalist and an awardee of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship