Magpale surprised by election results

CEBU, Philippines — While having conceded defeat, Cebu Vice Governor Agnes Magpale admitted that she was surprised by the result of last Monday’s elections.

"We were surprised with the results. We were already computing pila akong makuha and in other towns we were expected to meet. Of course, I was also shocked because the surveys in the last three days, I was ahead by 15 percent," she told reporters yesterday.

Magpale said she was particularly surprised that she won only by a small margin in her bailiwick, Danao City. There, she got 32,118 votes while her opponent, Third District Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia got 27, 918.

As far as the total number of votes is concerned, and except for votes from Toledo City, partial and unofficial results show that Garcia won against Magpale with a wide margin of 275,220 votes.

Garcia garnered 844,291 votes while Magpale got 569,071 votes.

Votes from Toledo City have yet to be transmitted as of yesterday but the 117,150 expected number of votes will no longer affect the initial result.

Magpale said she does not want to assume why she lost but she believes President Rodrigo Duterte’s endorsement of Garcia was a factor.

“We don't want to make conclusions. We were trying to analyze. We can't do anything at the moment," she said yesterday.

She also said she will not contest the results.

Magpale’s running mate, incumbent Governor Hilario Davide III, won as vice governor.

She said she does not want to pre-empt the kind of relationship Davide will have with Garcia but she said Davide is a "nice and humble" person.

After she steps down from the Capitol, Magpale said she will focus on farming and managing her private school, Northeastern Cebu College, in Danao City.

She said she will also have more time with her family and grandchildren.

The Commission on Elections is just awaiting the votes from Toledo City to be transmitted for tally to get the final number of votes for Cebu Province.

The transmission of votes was delayed because the SD cards from Toledo City and Ronda town had to be reconfigured. Ronda, however, was able to transmit votes at 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

Despite leading in votes, Garcia has said she does not want to be proclaimed governor until all the votes have been tallied.  — JMO (FREEMAN)