HE arrived smiling but toward the end of his speech almost teared up, and right when he said, “This is not a time for tears.”
On noon Tuesday, a day after the elections, administration bet and Liberal Party standard bearer Manuel “Mar” Roxas II conceded to Rodrigo Duterte.
“Digong, I wish you success.” Roxas said, referring to the Davao City mayor who is leading his presidential rivals in partial and unofficial vote counts by a wide margin. “Ang iyong tagumpay ay tagumpay ng ating sambayanan at ng ating bansa (Your victory is victory of our people and of the nation).”
Roxas follows Sen. Grace Poe, who conceded to Duterte Monday midnight, when early poll results had started pouring in.
In his concession speech, Roxas thanked his supporters for not leaving his side during the long and contentious campaign, and called on them to respect and accept the people’s decision.
“Ayon sa unofficial count ng Comelec, malinaw na si Mayor Rodrigo Duterte ang magiging susunod na pangulo ng Republika (Based on Comelec’s unofficial count, it is clear that it is Mayor Rodrigo Duterte who will be the next president of the Republic), he said.
Roxas also urged his supporters to continue supporting his running mate Leni Robredo, currently neck and neck with Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in unofficial counts.
“Hindi pa tapos ang laban ni Leni (The battle is not over yet for Leni),” he said. “Siguraduhin natin na mabibilang ng tama ang kanyang boto (Let us ensure her votes are properly counted).”
“Habang ginagawa natin ito para kay Leni, simulan na natin ang pagbuo sa minamahal nating bansa (While we are doing this for Leni, let’s start rebuilding our beloved country),” the former interior secretary added.
Amid shouts and applause from supporters and a smile of encouragement from wife Korina Sanchez, Roxas’ voice faltered.
“There are many tears in the room, let me tell you, this is not a time for tears,” Roxas said. “We’ve had a peaceful, successful transfer of power. It’s not about me, it’s not about anyone. It’s about how we love our country and how we move on as we can for her.”
The latest count of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), with 91.71 percent of the votes tallied, shows Duterte getting more than 15 million votes, 6 million votes ahead of Roxas. –Lala Ordenes