By JOSEPH G. LARIOSA

(Journal Group Link International)

Noynoy Aquino-Mar Roxas Slate Wins Big in North America

C HICAGO (JGLi) – Liberal Party’s Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino, III, and Manuel “Mar” A. Roxas were the runaway winners in the presidential elections both in the United States and Canada by logging in 7,232 and 1,556 votes, respectively, according to unofficial and complete results obtained by this reporter.

While Nacionalista Party’s Manny B. Villar, Jr., came in far behind in second place with 1,509 votes for president and Bagumbayan-Volunteers for a New Philippines Party’s Bayani F. Fernando with 1,108 votes for vice president in the U.S., Bangon Pilipinas Party’s Eduardo C. Villanueva and Perfecto R. Yasay came in close second for president and vice president, respectively, in Canada with 877 and 691 votes.

Philippine Ambassador to the United States Willy C. Gaa, chairman of the Special Board of Canvassers in the U.S., congratulated the staff of the Philippine Foreign Service Posts in the U.S. for canvassing the overseas absentee votes in the U.S.

He also thanked the leaders and members of the Filipino community in the U.S. for participating in the electoral process.

Consul Gines Gallaga, press attaché of the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C., said a total of 12,140 ballots were received by Philippine Foreign Service Posts all over the U.S., 11,892 ballots were counted as 248 ballots were deemed spoiled and/or invalid by the Special Board of Election Inspectors (SBEI) set up in various Philippine Foreign Service Posts in the U.S.

There were 25 precincts in the US. Seven of these are in Los Angeles, California; six in New York, New York; four each in Washington, D.C. and San Francisco, California; three in Chicago, Illinois and one in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Philippine Ambassador to Canada Jose S. Brillantes, chairman of the Special Board of Canvassers in Ottawa, appeared to have canvassed more than 3,300 votes from eight precincts in Canada.

A source said although Toronto has the most numbers of 8,000 registered voters, only 2,084 voted in its five precincts. Ottawa had only one precinct (less than 500 voters) while Vancouver had only two, with each precinct having at least 500 voters, bring up the total voters in Canada at 3,584.

Filipino-American Vote Tallies

In the U.S., the votes for president were: Aquino, 7,232; Villar, 1,509 and Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr., 1,465; for vice president, Roxas, 8,205; Fernando, 1,108; Loren B. Legarda of the Nationalist People’s Coalition Party, 921; and Jejomar C. Binay of the PDP-Laban Party, 872.

Rounding up the “Magic 12” for senators, Franklin M. Drilon of the Liberal Party had 8,068 votes; Ralph G. Recto, LP, 7,242; Miriam P. Defensor Santiago of the People’s Reform Party, 6,766; Teofisto D. Guingona, III, LP, 6,206; Ana Theresia H. Hontiveros-Baraquel, LP, 5,485; Pilar Juliana S. Cayetano, NP, 5,417; Sergio D. Osmena, III, Independent, 5,343; Sonia M. Roco, LP, 5,311; Rozzano Rufino B. Biazon, LP, 5,155; Ramon Bong B. Revilla, Jr., Lakas-Kampi-CMD Party, 3,939; Juan Ponce Enrile, Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino Party, 3,849, and Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., NP, 3,818.

Filipino-Canadian Vote Tallies

In Canada, the votes for president were: Aquino, 1,556; Villanueva, 877; Villar, 330; for vice president, Roxas, 1,610; Yasay, 691; Legarda, 353.

For senators, the votes for the top 15 were: Drilon, 1,946; Defensor-Santiago, 1,727; Recto, 1,666; Cayetano, 1,469; Guingona, 1,410; Revilla, 1,193; Sergio D. Osmena, III, 1,136; Enrile, 1,131; Marcos, 1,102; Roco, 1,088; Biazon, 1,046; Ma. Katherine Luningning R. Inocencio, Bangon Pilipinas Party, 1,037; Hontiveros-Baraquel, 1036; Vicente C. Sotto, III, Nationalists People’s Coallition Party, 1,002; and Jose P. De Venecia, III, 876.

For the party-list, the Citizens Battle Against Corruption polled 666 votes; Gabriela Women’s Party, 219; Alyansa ng OFW Party, 153; and Bayan Muna, 138. (lariosa_jos@sbcglobal.net)  # # #