Marcos received most votes in 15 out of 17 regions

Leading presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. received the most votes in 15 out of 17 regions in the country.

Based on the partial and unofficial tally election returns from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) transparency servers, Marcos got 31, 084, 349 votes as of 3:32 PM on Wednesday. 

His running-mate, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Caprio received 31, 538, 599 votes.

According to Chino Gaston's report on "24 Oras", Marcos received majority of the votes in four out of the five most vote-rich areas including the National Capital Region where he got earned 3.5 million votes compared to Vice President Leni Robredo’s 1.9 million.

He also won in Region 4-A (CALABARZON) with over 3.9 million votes over Robredo’s 2.9 million; Region 3 (Central Luzon) with 3.9 million to Robredo’s 1.6M million votes and Region 7 (Central Visayas) with 1.9 million compared to Robredo’s 1.2 million.

The incumbent vice-president, meanwhile, retained her lead in Western Visayas where she got 1.9 million votes over Marcos Jr’s 1.5 million.

According to Pulse Asia President and De Lasalle University Prof. Ronald Holmes, the poll results were not surprising given the electoral culture in the country where voters bet on candidates representing their regions.

It remains true in Ilocano areas of Regions 1, 2, and Cordillera Administrative Region where Marcos Jr. emerged as the top candidate with 4.9 million votes as well as in Bicol Region where Robredo became number one with 2.4 million votes.

“It’s an ethnolinguistic vote. It has always been the case in the Philippines. Kung ano ‘yung wika na nire-representa, kung ano ‘yung grupo na nire-representa ng isang kandidato descriptively,” he said.

(It’s an ethnolinguistic vote. It has always been the case in the Philippines. It’s always about the language, the group they represent descriptively.)

Holmes further explained that Marcos Jr. 's tandem with Duterte-Carpio helped him earn support in her bailiwick areas including Mindanao where Marcos Jr. lagged in the 2016 elections.

“Nakaangat si Bongbong dahil binitbit siya ni Sara doon sa mga area na malakas si Sara,” he said.

(Bongbong emerged because Sara helped him in areas where she had strong support.)

Comelec data showed Marcos Jr. was able to steal seven regions where Robredo won in the 2016 Elections. These are Region 4-A (CALABARZON), Region 4-B (MIMAROPA), Region 7 (Central Visayas), Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula), Region 10 (Northern Mindanao), BARMM, and Caraga Region.

Holmes stressed the election results reflected the findings of the pre-election surveys conducted by various polling firms. —Sundy Locus/NB, GMA News