Despite his impending loss in the May 9 polls, Vice-presidential candidate and Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan has never lost his heart and political will to stand up for what is right.
Pangilinan, who ranked far second in the partial and unofficial elections results, seems already prepared to accept whatever the decision of the majority of the people.
The senator is in a distant second with 9.2 million votes behind Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte’s 31 million votes. Senate President Vicente Sotto III is in third with over 8.1 million votes.
In a Twitter post, Pangilinan said he found solace and relief in the life of the late South African President Nelson Mandela, who fought hard for freedom and democracy.
“When I am faced with serious difficulties in my own journey, I am reminded of the brave, courageous & relentless Nelson Mandela,” he wrote.
“Jailed for 27 yrs because of his beliefs, he never gave up the fight for freedom, genuine democracy. Neither will we. Manalo, matalo, tuloy ang laban (Win or lose, the fight goes on),” Pangilinan said.
READ: 'Fight is not yet over' — Pangilinan
Mandela, one of South Africa’s first black lawyers, won the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1993 for having led the anti-apartheid movement in the country. He served as South Africa’s first president from 1994 to 1999, becoming the country’s first black head of state and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election.
Meanwhile, Pangilinan’s eldest daughter, Frankie, took to social media to give her two cents about the recently concluded elections.
She posted on Twitter that, like many others, she may never understand “how things came to be.”
But despite this, Frankie said she will “never forget the very distinct brand of love this election bred in each and every single one of our hearts.”
Pangilinan’s daughter declared that “the work does not end here,” whatever the May 9 poll results will be.
After a series of Twitter posts, Frankie joined several protesters who gathered at the Palacio del Gobernador in Intramuros, Manila, on Tuesday, May 11.
She expressed disgust over the outcome of the national elections.
“Sabi ng iba na (Like what the others said) we have to accept defeat daw...na hindi raw tayo marunong matalo (that we don’t know how to accept defeat). I think the truth is, it’s not just about this election anymore e. Because I think that the data shows, clearly, this election was bought a long, long time ago, and that’s something that we will not take sitting down ‘no,” she said in an interview that has gone viral on social media.
Frankie added, “I’m not going to have my president be named Ferdinand Marcos, again, ever. It’s that simple.”