Despite reports of irregularities in the voting process, Vice President Leni Robredo on Tuesday, May 10, asked her supporters to accept the election results as an unofficial quick count shows rival former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. with a wide lead.
While she said it was not easy to accept the results of the quick count and irregularities were reported due to some voters being unable to cast their votes, she reminded her supporters to exercise restraint.
“Gayumpaman, sinasabi ko sa inyo: Alam kong mahal natin ang bansa, pero hindi puwedeng maging ugat pa ng pagkakawatak-watak ang pagmamahal na ito (Despite it, I am telling you: I know we love our country but this love cannot be the reason why we will be divided),” Robredo said in a speech delivered early morning of Tuesday and addressed to her supporters.
The Vice President gave the post-election statement from her home in Magarao, Camarines Sur while she was accompanied by her three daughters—Aika, Tricia, and Jillian.
Robredo’s closest rival former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. kept his lead with over 12 million votes based on the partial and unofficial results from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) transparency server.
Marcos got 27,052,601 votes as against Robredo’s 13,915,249 votes with 91.49 percent of the election returns already transmitted as of 2:17 a.m. on Tuesday.
"Palinaw na nang palinaw ang tinig ng taumbayan. Sa ngalan ng Pilipinas na alam kong mahal na mahal rin ninyo: Kailangan nating pakinggan ang tinig na ito, dahil sa huli, iisa lang ang bayang pinagsasaluhan natin (The voice of the people is getting clearer. In the name of the Philippines I know you all love too: We need to listen to this voice, because in the end, we share the same country),” the Vice President added.
However, she stressed that not all is lost because they started something never before seen in the history of the country, mentioning a volunteer-driven campaign to remove an “old and rotten” system.
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“Kaya sinasabi ko sa inyo ngayon: Walang nasayang; hindi tayo nabigo. Pinakamahalaga: Hindi pa tayo tapos. Nagsisimula pa lang tayo (That’s why I am telling you right now: Nothing is lost; we did not fail. More importantly: We are not done. We have just started),” Robredo said.
A movement was born, she added, and this will not stop simply because the polling precincts have closed.
She called on her supporters to join her in the crusade to continue serving millions of Filipinos by uplifting their lives and fighting to uphold their dignity.
“Ang namulat, di na muling mapipikit. Hindi natin kailanman hahayaang makatulog muli ang pag-asang nagising (Whoever awaken will never close their eyes again. We will never allow the awakaned hope to fall asleep again),” the Vice President said.
“Wala akong planong abandonahin ang mga bagay na habambuhay ko nang ipinaglalaban. Tuloy ang trabaho ko para iangat ang buhay ng mga nasa laylayan. Tinatawag ko kayong samahan ako dito, at sa iba pang mga laban (I don’t have plans to abandon things I fought for all my life. I will continue working to uplift the lives of those in the fringes. I call on you to join me here, and in my other battles),” she added.
While not explicitly saying what her plans are, Robredo reminded her supporters that elections happen every three years.
“Sa pagitan nito, asahan na ninyo na marami tayong kakailanganing ipaglaban (In between this, we have to fight for many things),” she said.
The Vice President asked her supporters to remain active in their communities and to continue standing up for the truth because there is now a “chance” to fight lies and disinformation.
She also enjoined them to continue uplifting the lives of the marginalized she has served all her life, and told them that the light will shine as long as they continue to work for it.
“Ginawa ko ang lahat ng makakaya; tinumbasan ninyo ito, minsan higit pa. Walang dadaig sa kapayapaang dala ng katotohanang ito (I did all that I can, you matched this, sometimes more. Nothing can compare to the peace this truth brings),” Robredo said.