Mar Roxas accepts defeat: Disappointing and sad but that's life

Former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas on Wednesday broke his silence and accepted defeat in the 2019 senatorial race.

"Well, we didn’t make it. Disappointing and sad but ganyan talaga ang buhay," Roxas said in a statement.

Garnering only about 9.8 million votes, Roxas, an opposition candidate under the Otso Diretso slate, ranked 16th in the Commission on Elections' final and official tally of votes for the senatorial race.

This makes Roxas' third consecutive loss in the elections, after his unsuccessful vice-presidential and presidential bids in the 2010 and 2016 polls, respectively.

Nevertheless, Roxas thanked his supporters for their hard work during his campaign and for believing in him and in his values and principles.

"On behalf of my whole family, maraming maraming salamat sa tiwala, suporta at malasakit. I am so very humbled and honored to have been in the trenches and frontline with you all," he said.

Roxas said he does not know yet what comes next for him after his failed senatorial bid.

"For now, I encourage you to do what I’m going to do – hug my family, nurture them, learn some more, work some more, love some more… in short, try to live life to the fullest," he said.

"In this way, we can revive our spirit, and get strong. Our country continues to need us and our best efforts," he added.

No senatorial candidate from the Otso Diretso slate made it to the winners' circle in the 2019 midterm elections.

The 12 winning candidates, mostly allies of President Rodrigo Duterte, were proclaimed on Wednesday morning. —KBK, GMA News