PRESIDENTIAL candidates Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao and Faisal Mangondato conceded to leading bet Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
Pacquiao said he already accepted his defeat while expressing gratitude to his supporters.
“The people have spoken. Tapos na ang halalan kaya’t bigyan naman natin ng pagkakataon ang pagkakaisa para sa kapayapaan at kaunlaran ng ating bansa,” he said.
(The election is over. Let's give unity a chance for peace and progress in our country.)
“My decision to run was driven by my utmost desire to to serve the country and uplift the life of poor Filipinos. Bilang isang atleta, marunong akong tumanggap ng pagkatalo. Sana lang kahit talo ako sa laban na ito, panalo pa rin ang kapwa ko Pilipino...yung mga naghihirap,” he added.
(As an athlete, I know how to accept defeat. I just hope that even though I lost this fight, the Filipino people will gain something out of this... especially the poor.)
He said he is praying for the incoming administration of Marcos that they will be able to uplift the lives, especially the poor, of Filipino families.
Pacquiao said he will now devote his time for his family and relaxation but noted that he will not stop helping the poor through the Manny Pacquiao Foundation.
The retired boxing champ is ranked third based on the latest unofficial voting count of the Commission on Elections with over 3 million votes.
Mangondatoc together with his runningmate Carlos Serapio also recognized their defeat against the tandem of Marcos and vice-presidential bet Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
“Mangondato-Serapio congratulated the Marcos-Duterte Team who obtained the People’s Mandate,” the Katipunan ng Kamalayang Kayumanggi Party said in a press statement Tuesday.
“They expressed the hope that Marcos and Duterte will govern with Divine Wisdom as their guide and the welfare of the nation and people as their paramount interest,” it added.
Vice-presidential candidate Manny Lopez also conceded, saying that he respects the voice of the polling as reflected in the unofficial tally of the Comelec.
"While I did not emerge a victor in the political competition, we somehow managed to deliver the message for real change and reform with dignity and honor intact,” he said.
“Whatever the Filipino electorates considered in their choice of candidates, we have to respect, for this is the essence of democracy. In the final analysis, however, the people shall deserve the leaders they elect,” he added.
The initial result of the vote counting, however, did not sit well with vice presidential-candidate Professor Walden Bello as he slammed the looming victory of the Marcos-Duterte Tandem.
Bello said the battle has just begun as he sees that the country will face six years of instability under the Marcos regime.
“Being an alliance of convenience, the Marcos-Duterte dynastic duo will be lucky to survive one year before it is undone by the inevitable infighting over the spoils of office,” he said.
“A large sector of the population will refuse to grant legitimacy and credibility to the rule of a family of thieves. The government bureaucracy is likely to be split, as will the military. An electoral base built on the illusion of Marcos delivering on his promise of everything under the sun will soon generate disappointment and, after that, rage,” he added.
Bello’s runningmate, labor leader Leody de Guzman, was among the candidates who conceded early and accepted their defeat.
Others were Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno, Senator Panfilo Lacson and his running mate Senate President Vicente Sotto III.
Meanwhile, reelectionists Senator Dick Gordon and detained Leila de Lima also accepted defeat after failing to earn a spot in the Magic 12. (SunStar Philippines)