Leni still wins Iloilo, but BBM breaks through ‘Liberal’ wall

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

Vice President Leni Robredo maintained her 2016 vice presidential race numbers in the city and province of Iloilo in the 2022 presidential elections.

But Robredo’s rival, former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., seems to have closed the gap a little and even made cracks in a place which was once called a ‘Liberal Party country’.

Data from the Commission on Elections’ (COMELEC) transparency server as of 5:56 p.m. on Wednesday, May 11, indicated that Robredo garnered 728,781 votes and led in 36 Iloilo province towns including:

• Ajuy (16,498);
• Alimodian (13,923);
• Badiangan (9,600);
• Balasan (8,075);
• Banate (10,732);
• Barotac Viejo (14,083);
• Batad (6,055);
• Bingawan (4,873);
• Cabatuan (20,340);
• Calinog (18,031);
• Carles (15,481);
• Concepcion (11,733);
• Dingle (13,390);
• Dueñas (11,859);
• Dumangas (20,795);
• Igbaras (10,033);
• Janiuay (19,598);
• Lambunao (21,007);
• Lemery (8,890);
• Leon (17,799);
• Maasin (14,649);
• Miagao (16,701);
• Mina (8,423);
• New Lucena (7,980);
• Oton (24,463);
• Pavia (18,008);
• Pototan (24,184);
• San Dionisio (10,250);
• San Enrique (9,841);
• San Joaquin (12,587);
• San Miguel (10,135);
• San Rafael (4,954);
• Santa Barbara (23,458);
• Tigbauan (19,335);
• Tubungan (6,918); and
• Zarraga (9,798).

The current figure in the transparency server also includes the numbers from Iloilo City, where the incumbent vice president captured 149,256 votes.

This was an increase from the total 711,391 votes she got from the city (137,662) and the province (573,729) in 2016.

But unlike in 2016, where she led in all areas in the vice-presidential race, Marcos Jr., who got 459,261 votes, became the frontrunner in the towns of Anilao (9,063), Barotac Nuevo (15,647), Estancia (11,833), Guimbal (10,422), and Sara (13,765), as well as the component city of Passi (20,680).

Marcos Jr. also got 85,117 votes in Iloilo City.

Marcos Jr., the son and namesake of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr., also increased his votes here from 128,189 (94,411 from Iloilo province and 33,778 from Iloilo City) in the 2016 vice presidential contest.

His victory in some towns stemmed from the fact that these areas serve as bailiwicks of powerful families who supported him – the Birons of the 4^th district, the Garins of the 1^st district, and Tupases in the 5^th district.

For the other presidential candidates, Senator Manny Pacquiao is on third place here with 80,359, followed by Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso (36,490), Senator Ping Lacson (13,953), former presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella (3,223), labor leader Leody De Guzman (2,765), former national defense chief Norberto Gonzales (2,224), Dr. Jose Montemayor Jr. (1,633), and Faisal Mangondato (846).

In the vice-presidential race, Robredo’s running mate, Senator Kiko Pangilinan, also led here with 555,636, followed by Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte (457,844), Senator Tito Sotto (210,466), Dr. Willie Ong (40,931), BUHAY Party-list Rep. Lito Atienza (6,772), Manny Lopez (4,437), Walden Bello (3,105), Carlos Serapio (2,438), and Rizalito David (1,436).