DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/13 May) – City Mayor Sara Duterte on Monday expressed hopes the voters would vote for administration senatorial candidates to support her father, President Rodrigo R. Duterte, but acknowledged “this election will be the will of the majority of the Filipinos.”
Speaking to reporters after casting her vote around 8 a.m. at the Daniel R. Aguinaldo National High School, the younger Duterte, who is seeking reelection as mayor of Davao City, admitted that she was a bit nervous about the results of the 2019 midterm elections.
She added voting for the senatorial candidates who could support his father would help in realizing his campaign promises, which he had found difficult to fulfill in his first three years as president.
She said this was why she endeavored to rally behind the 13 senatorial candidates supported by Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), a regional party which she chairs.
“That’s why, we really worked hard during this campaign to present to the people the senators who understand the president’s vision. And, hopefully, they would vote for them,” she said in mixed English and Filipino.
But Duterte declined to divulge whom she voted out of the 13 HNP-backed senatorial candidates.
Voters could only vote up to 12 candidates for senator.
“It is an election. That’s why, it’s a democracy. People are allowed to choose kung sino ang gusto nila botohan botohan (who they want to vote). That’s why, we remind also the Comelec (Commission on Elections) and Smartmatic to be faithful sa mga choices ng mga tao (to the choice of the people). ‘Wag na nila pakialaman yung results ng botohan (they should not meddle in the results of the election),” she said.
Smartmatic is the Venezuelan-based firm providing the technology for the holding of automated elections in the Philippines since 2010. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)
