Comelec proclaims 12 Senate winners; Cynthia Villar tops race

May 27, 2019

Two of President Duterte’s closest aides, the wife of the country’s richest man, and the daughter of a deposed strongman, were among the 12 Senate winners proclaimed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday, May 23.
Former presidential assistant Bong Go and former Philippine National police chief Bato dela Rosa, Cynthia Villar, and Imee Marcos were joined by Grace Poe, Pia Cayetano, Sonny Angara, Lito Lapid, Francis Tolentino, Koko Pimentel, Bong Revilla, and Nancy Binay in ceremonies at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) where the Comelec held its official canvas of votes cast in the may 13 mid-term polls.
Villar bagged the top slot, followed by Poe, Go, Cayetano, dela Rosa, Angara, Lapid, Marcos, Tolentino Pimentel, Revilla, and Binay. Nine of the winners were endorsed by Duterte or his daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte. Poe ran as an independent, Binay carried the banner of his father’s party UNA (United Nationalist Alliance) , while Lapid was drafted by the NPC (Nationalist People’s Coalition).
The opposition’s Ocho Derecho candidates were shutout of the winning circle – the first time in 80 years that no opposition bet won in the senatorial race. Only reelectionist Bam Aquino and former Sen. Mar Roxas were in contention in fight for the Senate seats.