THE country’s top government leaders went home to their respective hometowns to cast their votes and join the rest of the nation in exercising their right to suffrage.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and members of his family were in Ilocos Norte, while Vice President Sara Duterte flew to Davao City where is she is registered.
Senate President Francis Escudero and his wife, actress and fashion icon Heart Evangelista, were in Sorsogon, the senator’s home province.
Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, who is the representative of Leyte’s first district, voted in Tacloban City.
The President, with his mother, former first lady Imelda Marcos, and sister Irene arrived early at the Mariano Marcos Elementary School in Batac City, Ilocos Norte, where they cast their votes.
They arrived at Precinct 36-A and started voting at around 7:06 a.m.
The Chief Executive quickly filled up his ballot because he brought his own “kodigo,” or list of candidates that he would vote for, but an initial glitch in the automated counting machine when he tried to feed his ballot caused a delay in his voting.
The machine accepted his ballot at the second attempt after precinct inspectors checked and adjusted the machine.
After casting their vote, the President, his mom and sister and his son, Rep. Sandro Marcos, visited the Immaculate Conception Parish in Batac City.
The congressman later joined his mom, First Lady Liza Marcos, and two brothers in Laoag City where they voted at the Calayab Elementary School.
In a social media post after casting his vote, the President said: “Bilang mga mamamayan, tungkulin nating makilahok sa halalan at tiyaking ito’y magiging mapayapa, maayos at tapat. Sama-sama nating pangalagaan ang demokrasya (As citizens, it is our responsibility to take part in the elections and ensure that it is peaceful, orderly and honest. Let us work together to safeguard democracy).”
He returned to Manila after the event to monitor the election day situation across the country.
‘REALISTIC CHANCE’
The vice president voted at the Daniel R. Aguinaldo National High School in Davao City at 8:40 a.m.
In an interview after casting her vote, Duterte said she has told her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, that more than two of his 10 senatorial candidates have a “realistic” chance to win in the midterm elections.
She said she was able to talk to her father who is detained in the Netherlands, over the phone last week.
“Hindi ko na lang i-share sa inyo baka kasi sabihin ninyo masyado naman ako overconfident pero the number I gave him is more than two (I won’t tell you the exact number because you might say I’m overconfident, but the number I gave him is more than two),” she said.
The younger Duterte has said she has promised her father that in his absence, she would campaign for his “Duterte10” senatorial candidates led by reelectionist Senators Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go and Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.
The former president is detained in The Hague, Netherlands where he is facing trial by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity because of the thousands killed under his war on illegal drugs.
The Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP-Laban) initially endorsed the Duterte10 but later adopted Sen. Imee Marcos and Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar of the administration’s “Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas” as guest candidates.
The vice president earlier admitted that it has been difficult to introduce and campaign for the PDP’s “unknown” candidates in such a short span of time.
Also yesterday, the vice president said her father’s legal team has been discussing with the ICC ways on how he could take his oath of office if he wins the mayoralty race in Davao City, where he is running against former Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles, who served as chair of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) under Duterte.
She said three options were discussed with lawyers but she did not elaborate. “Once we have the proclamation papers, we will discuss how former president Rodrigo Duterte can take his oath. We have until noon of June 30,” she said.
CONGRESS LEADERS
The Escudero couple voted at the Buhatan Integrated School in Barangay Buhatan, Sorsogon, which is the senator’s home province.
The Senate chief has earlier urged Filipinos to exercise their right to suffrage since this is the only day in every three years that all Filipinos are at equal footing.
“Sa araw lang ng halalan tunay na nagkakapantay-pantay ang bawat Pilipino, kung saan mayaman man o mahirap, makapangyarihan o karaniwang mamamayan, nakapag aral o hindi, anong man ang kasarian o hitsura, ang boto ng bawat isa sa atin ay tig-isa lamang, magkatumbas lamang (It is only on Election Day that all Filipinos become equal, regardless if they rich and the poor, the powerful ordinary people, educated or not, and gender),” he said.
Meanwhile, Romualdez voted at Precinct No. 0480B in V&G Dela Cruz Memorial Elementary School in Tacloban City.
Romualdez is running unopposed for a third and final term in Congress, where he has served for five terms since 2007.
“Every vote is a declaration of hope. It’s a stand for good governance, unity, and a better Philippines,” the Speaker said.
The Speaker, who has gone all-out in campaigning for the 11-man Alyansa senatorial ticket, stressed the importance of the 2025 midterm elections in realizing the goals of the Bagong Pilipinas (New Philippines) agenda of Marcos.
“These elections are about continuity and change—continuity of the reforms we’ve started, and change that uplifts every Filipino family,” said Romualdez, president of the ruling Lakas-CMD.
Nograles and her younger sister Rep. Margarita Nograles (PL, PBA), who is facing incumbent Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte in the congressional race, cast their votes at the Teodora Palma Gil Elementary School in Davao City.
The senatorial candidates of the administration’s Alyansa slate voted in their respective hometowns and cities.
Reelectionist Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr. cast his vote at the Perpetual Village V in Bacoor, Cavite; Rep. Erwin Tulfo in Brgy. South Triangle, Quezon City; former interior secretary Benhur Abalos at the Highway Hills Integrated School in Mandaluyong City; former senator Panfilo Lacson at the Bayan Luma Elementary school in Imus, Cavite; former senator Vicente Sotto III at White Plains, Quezon City; and Makati Mayor Abby Binay at the Nemesio Yabut Elem School.
Former senator Manny Pacquiao voted at the Kiamba Central Elementary School in Barangay Poblacion, Kiamba, Sarangani; Sen. Francis Tolentino at the Francisco Tolentino Memorial School in Tagaytay City, Cavite; and Villar at the Las Piñas City National Science High School.
Former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and former first gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo voted at the Lubao Central Elementary School where they experienced a smooth voting process. – With Wendell Vigilia and Raymond Africa
