Leni had slim lead over BBM in Negros Occidental province; BBM had more votes in Bacolod City

Negros Occidental Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer, a top local ally of presumptive president Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. today was unfazed by Vice President Leni Robredo topping the polls in the province, highlighting instead the slim lead she garnered.

As of today, May 12, with 100 percent of local results already in, Robredo obtained 527,321 votes in Negros Occidental while Marcos got 482,344 votes.

In Bacolod, Marcos ranked first with 121,179 votes while Robredo was second with 112,051 votes.

Ferrer said that during the 2016 vice presidential race, Robredo was ahead of Marcos by 571,000 votes in both the province and the city.

However, in the May 2022 polls, Marcos narrowed the gap and was behind Robredo by only more than 35,000 votes.

“For us, it’s a big victory. Meaning, this is not a pink country. I would like to congratulate the mayors. With this one, the mayors just made the effort to support their candidates,” Ferrer told reporters.

In Negros Occidental, 28 out of the 31 town and city mayors as well as Bacolod City mayor-elect Alfredo Benitez have expressed support to the UniTeam of Marcos and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.

Former Murcia town mayor Esteban Coscolluela, spokesman for Marcos in Negros Occidental, credited the mayors and the volunteers who supported the presumptive president for the turnaround.

SARA

Meanwhile, Duterte won both in the province and the city, garnering 475,854 votes in Negros Occidental and 120,394 votes in Bacolod.

Robredo’s running mate Senator Francis Pangilinan got 376,288 votes in Negros Occidental and 76,095 votes in Bacolod City.* (Nanette Guadalquiver)