ILIGAN City ― In the 4th class municipality of Pantao Ragat in the highlands of Lanao del Norte province, Vice President Ma. Leonor ‘Leni’ Robredo’s political rivals practically got zero votes.
Pantao Ragat residents voted overwhelmingly for Robredo giving her 9,842 votes in the ABS-CBN’s Halalan 2022 post at 4:47 am today.
Her rivals frontrunner Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Isko Moreno, Manny Pacquiao, and the rest presidential bets got zero votes.
Even fellow Maranao, Faisal Mangondato, who is running for the presidency, also got zero votes.
Pantao Ragat was among the last places visited by Robredo on May 4 before the campaign period ended.
This is in sharp contrast to the rest of northern Mindanao and Caraga where Robredo fared badly even if local politicians endorsed her before the May 9 elections.
In Cagayan de Oro where frontrunner Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez endorsed Robredo, the residents overwhelmingly went for Marcos Jr, with 233, 325 votes compared to Robredo who got only 33,780 votes.
The combination of Cagayan de Oro Mayor Oscar Moreno and Rep. Juliet Uy (2nd district, Misamis Oriental) did not save Robredo from losing badly.
Robredo placed third with only 58,306 votes to the second placer, Manny Pacquiao who got 76,766 votes. Misamis Oriental residents gave Marcos Jr., 386,706 votes.
Another Robredo endorser, Agusan Rep. Lawrence Fortun was not able to deliver for Robredo who got only 21,689 votes compared to 116,154 votes for Marcos.
It was only in Agusan del Sur, that Robredo was able to make a fight with the endorsement from Rep. Eddiebong Plaza whose family invented the zero votes strategy against its political rivals in the 80s.
Robredo managed to garner 144,176 compared to Marcos Jr., who got 152,029 votes according to ABS-CBN’s Halalan 2022 post at 4:47 am, today.
She also fared badly in Surigao del Norte, 44,578 votes to Marcos’ 219,284 votes and Surigao del Sur where she placed third to Manny Pacquiao.