Dubai: Presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte and vice presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bong-Bong” Marcos took the lead in the polls in Dubai based on early and partial unofficial counting of votes on Monday night.
The results mirrored the partial unofficial results in the Philippines as of 6pm after 54 million Filipinos cast their votes to elect their new president, vice president, 12 senators, and local posts.
Poll clerks started printing the Election Returns using the vote counting machines at 2.40pm in Dubai. The counting continued until Gulf News went to print. Officials expect the counting to continue till midnight or Tuesday or Wednesday.
Based on partial tabulations in Dubai as of 6.30pm, Duterte had a commanding lead after garnering 10,473 votes compared to the second placer three-term senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago who got 876 votes. Liberal Party candidate Mar Roxas came in third with 819 votes while independent candidate Grace Poe got 303 votes and outgoing vice-president Jejomar Binay received 141 votes.
For the vice-presidential candidates, Ferdinand Bong-Bong Marcos received 5,691 votes followed by Alan Peter Cayetano who received 4,390. Liberal Party candidate Leni Robredo came in third with 2,081 votes followed by Francis Chiz Escudero who got 294. Senator Antonio Trillanes IV received 46 votes while Gringo Honasan got 45.
A total of 62,109 voters or 32 per cent of the more than 194,000 registered voters cast their votes in the UAE, of which 24,137 are from Abu Dhabi and 37,972 are from Dubai.
At the consulate in the morning, hundreds of last-minute voters came and took time off work to cast their votes. Majority of them were Duterte supporters who took selfies showing clenched fists, a popular Duterte sign of support, outside the consulate after voting.
“I’m pleased with the results of the elections if Duterte wins. We need an iron fist in the person of Duterte. We need someone who delivers, not leaders who flood us with empty promises,” Rose Palacios, 34, an office administrator, said.
For Rosemarie Sison, Duterte’s entry to the national post is a good move.
“If Duterte wins, I’m happy because at least this time we know that change is inevitable. He is a new face, new blood in the national positions as opposed to leaders from the political elite,”Sison, 32, an office administrator, told Gulf News.
For Edna Paelma-Lee, supporter of the closest presidential contender Grace Poe as of 6pm, she still believes in her president.
“I believe in her promises to help the minority, the poor, and senior citizens. I believe that she will make certain privileges and benefits country-wide and not just enjoyed by the few,” Paelma-Lee, 52, who works in housekeeping, said.
While others were firm on their candidates, there were those who were not.
“I voted for Duterte because my family wants him to be president, so I joined in,” Sherry Pinol said.
Voting hours on the last two day of elections were held for 29 straight hours at the embassy and consulate from Sunday at 8am to Monday 1pm. However, the consulate extended the voting hours for another hour and closed its gates at 2pm after other Middle East posts decided to do the same.
Jerry Mariano, 47, a company driver, was the buzzer beater who made it to the last minute of voting just before the gates closed at 2pm.
“I’m a company driver and I don’t have time to come here to vote. I didn’t know they extended the voting by one hour. At 1pm, I just took my chances and am grateful that I made it,” Mariano said.
“I voted for change. That’s what the country needs right now.”
