MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – The incumbent wins the war of the siblings in Makati. 

The reelectionist Abby Binay has clearly won against her own brother, former mayor Jejomar “Junjun” Binay Jr, and 3 other contenders in the mayoral race for the country’s richest city. (READ: Abby Binay: ‘I’m banking on my track record, not my surname’) 

Abby garnered 179,522 votes against Junjun’s 98,653 votes, according to the final report of the local board of canvassers past midnight Tuesday, May 14. It’s a whopping lead of more than 80,000 against her brother.

Abby and her husband, reelected Makati 2nd District Representative Luis Campos, were not present during their proclamations.

Abby’s running mate Monique Lagdameo was also elected after receiving a total of 182,655 votes.

Abby’s victory does not come as a surprise. Not only has she led local preelection surveys; she also got the endorsement of the Iglesia ni Cristo, whose members tend to vote as a bloc. 

She said, however, there were last-minute efforts to attack her on the eve of the elections. Abby said her opponents – she refused to name anyone – spread a tabloid containing an article claiming she was disqualified in the mayoral race. 

“Hanggang huli, photo finish, naninira pa rin. So marami kaming pinanghahawakan na ebidenisya na hanggang ngayon sinisiraan pa rin nila ko,” Abby told reporters after she voted on Monday morning, May 13.

(Up until the end, photo finish, they are still attacking me. So we have a lot of evidence at hand to show that until now, they are still tarnishing my name.)

During the campaign, Abby promised to introduce hospice care for senior citizens, urgent care centers for residents, and free nutritious meals for students in Makati.

She also plans to see through the completion of the Makati subway projects, which she said would provide thousands of jobs.

The Makati mayoral race has been one of the hottest battles in Metro Manila, as Abby and Junjun locked horns and effectively ripped their family apart. (READ: Abby Binay says ‘mudslinging’ toughest part of reelection bid)

Abby’s only ally in the family is her father, former vice president and Makati 1st district congressional candidate Jejomar Binay. (READ: Emotional Abby Binay tells Makati: My dad joined my team because of you)

Junjun has the backing of the rest of their relatives: the family matriarch Elenita Binay, a former mayor herself, and his sisters Anne and Nancy, a reelectionist senator. Junjun, however, still carried his father as his congressional bet. (READ: Junjun Binay: I fought for my dad, I will fight for Makati) 

The family patriarch is praying his family would be whole again, with Junjun and Nancy saying they are willing to reconcile with their sister.

But Abby said the fissure within the Binay clan had gone so deep that the family feud would likely go on even after the elections. – Rappler.com