It’s Rody, Leni !

MANILA - The Congress, sitting as National Board of Canvassers, officially announced Friday evening that Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Congresswoman Leni Robredo have officially won the May 9 presidential and vice-presidential elections, respectively, based on the Board’s final tally of votes. Duterte and Robredo are expected to be proclaimed Monday as the Philippine’s new president and vice president respectively.

By MASIDING NOOR YAHYA
Editor-In-Chief Emeritus

MANILA - Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Congresswoman Leni Robredo have officially won the May 9 presidential and vice-presidential elections, respectively, based on the final tally of votes by Congress sitting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC).

It was a big victory for Duterte of the PDP-Laban, who got more than 16.5 million votes, beating President Aquino's anointed, second placer Manuel 'Mar' Roxas of the Liberal Party (LP) by over 6 million votes.

Except Miriam Defensor Santiago, Roxas, Grace Poe, Jejomar Binay conceded days after the May 9, 2016 polls. Only Miriam Defensor Santiago who placed last in the election.

Robredo of the LP got more than 14.3 million votes, narrowly beating Senator Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. with about hundreds thousand votes.

The Marcos camp, however, has questioned the results of the vice-presidential poll.

The canvassing of the presidential and vice-presidential votes, led by the joint session of Congress sitting as NBOC, is the fastest in Philippine since 1986. 

The canvassing only took three days.

The proclamation of Duterte and Robredo by Congress is expected on Monday.

Duterte’s spokesperson Peter Laviña said: "Finally victory has been achieved. The official results of 2016 presidential race with Rody Duterte as winner may be anti-climactic, but we should not lose its historic significance. His victory is the triumph of the people, by the people and for the people. Let us celebrate this milestone of Philippine democracy by uniting and working for genuine change."

Duterte won the presidency with his pro-federalism and anti-crime campaign, backed by his track record in leading and making Davao City a world class city.

He is the first president from Mindanao, first to jump from city mayor to president, first self-proclaimed socialist to win, and first septuagenarian (he's 71) chief executive.

Robredo, a lawmaker from Camarines Sur, was thrust into the national scene after her husband, Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, died in a plane crash in August 2012. 

She campaigned on Aquino's platform of Daang Matuwid, and vowed to help uplift people from poverty.

She will be the Philippines' first Bicolano vice-president.

The New Ranao Star