SENATORIAL candidates endorsed by President Rodrigo Duterte maintained their lead in the partial and unofficial election results as of 10:44 p.m. on Wednesday, May 15, with 96.54 percent of the votes tallied.
The top five spots include Cynthia Villar (NP), who maintained her position with 24,840,806 votes, followed by Grace Poe (Independent) with 21,701,988 votes, Bong Go (PDP-Laban) with 20,181,552 votes, Pia Cayetano (NP) with 19,421.590 votes and Bato dela Rosa (PDP-Laban) with 18,550,282 votes.
Trailing behind the top five are Sonny Angara (LDP) with 17,854,212 votes, Lito Lapid (NPC) with 16,696,563 votes, Imee Marcos (NP) with 15,579,663 votes, Francis Tolentino (PDP-Laban) with 15,171,789 votes, Bong Revilla (Lakas-CMD) with 14,364, 559 votes, Koko Pimentel (PDP-Laban) with 14,360,769 votes and Nancy Binay (UNA) with 14,304,449 votes.
Otso Diretso bet Bam Aquino momentarily held the 12th spot among the leading candidates. However, he recently dropped to 14th after the other votes were counted.
Palace backs VCM probe
Malacañang expressed its approval on the move of reelectionist Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III to launch a congressional probe on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) over vote counting machines (VCMs) glitches.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a Palace briefing that the administration would support a legislative inquiry on the voting discrepancies experienced in the midterm elections.
“Well, anything that will be for the betterment of this country, we always support. Maybe if many are complaining with Smartmatic, let’s have a probe then by the Senate or the House of Representatives,” Panelo said as reported by The Philippine Daily Inquirer.
