The running-mate of Mayor Duterte, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano has conceded the vice presidential race to Camarines Sur Representative Leni Robredo and called on other vice presidential candidates to “respect the people’s will.” In an interview with the media during a press conference, Sen. Cayetano humbled himself for his defeat in the VP race.
Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano was quoted as saying “I humbly concede my vice presidential bid to Rep Leni Robredo, who, by all accounts and with 96% of the votes already tallied, is our country’s presumptive Vice President-elect,” said Cayetano in a press release sent to media on Thursday, May 12.
The 45-year-old senator who has three more years as member of the Philippine Senate called for healing and unification, echoing the post-election message of the presumptive president of the Republic, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
“While losing an election hurts, nothing is more painful than the sight of a divided country. Thus, I call on all the other candidates to respect the people’s will and rally behind presumptive President-elect Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte and his presumptive Vice President-elect Leni Robredo,” he said.
The announcement of Sen. Cayetano conceding his defeat in the VP race is also considered some political analysts as a sign of sending a message to Sen. Bongbong Marcos who continues to contest the lead Rep. Robredo has gained over him in the partial election results. The Robredo camp had denied the allegation, and urged the Marcos team to just wait for the final election results.
Although the results of the national elections are not yet final, Sen. Cayetano believes Rep. Robredo has clearly won it. Sen. Cayetano also said that he puts his trust on Rep. Robredo to support Mayor Rody Duterte’s agenda for the country.
“I am confident that Vice President-elect Leni will likewise respect and value the people’s will by giving her full support to the country’s new President and his vision to end the disorder in the people’s lives and introduce real change to our country,” he added.