SENATORIAL hopefuls from both the administration party Partido Demokratiko Pilipino - Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) and opposition "Otso Diretso" cast their votes on Monday, May 13.
Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, president of the PDP-Laban and one of the administration's five official senatorial candidates, was among the first to vote in his precint at City Central School in Cagayan de Oro City.
Three other PDP-Laban senatorial bets -- former special assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go, former presidential adviser on political affairs Francis Tolentino, and former Bureau of Corrections chief Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa -- also voted early.
Go first visited the Carmelite Monastery in Davao City to offer a prayer before casting his vote at Buhangin Central Elementary School.
Dela Rosa, meantime, voted at Bato Elementary School in his hometown in Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur, while Tolentino cast his vote in Tagaytay City.
Former Local Government secretary Manuel Roxas II, a senatorial bet from Otso Diretso who is eyeing a Senate comeback, was also among the first to vote in his polling precinct at Conrado Barrios Memorial Elementary School in Baybay, Roxas City.
Otso Diretso candidate and re-electionist Senator Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aquino IV cast his vote early at the Concepcion South Central Elementary School in Tarlac.
Magdalo Representative Gary Alejano and former solicitor general Florin Hilbay, also an Otso Diretso senatorial bets, cast their votes in Sipalay City, Negros Oriental and Jose Corazon de Jesus Elementary School in Tondo, Manila, respectively.
Two other Otso Diretso candidates -- election lawyer Romulo Macalintal and Maranao civic leader Samira Gutoc -- voted in Las Piñas City and in Marawi City, respectively, for this year's midterm elections for national and local posts.
Senator Cynthia Villar, who is seeking reelection and is a guest candidate of PDP-Laban, cast her vote in Las Piñas City with her husband, former senator Manuel Villar.
Ilocos Norte Governor Maria Imelda Josefa "Imee" Marcos voted at Cabaza Elementary School in Laoag City, while re-electionist Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito voted in Xavier School in San Juan City. The senatorial bids of Marcos and Ejercito are both backed by the PDP-Laban. (SunStar Philippines)