MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Administration standard-bearer Manuel “Mar” Roxas II said to the media on Tuesday, April 10 "Kung sana ako ang ibinoto nyo, di sana magkakagulo."
"Digong, I wish you success. Ang iyong tagumpay ay tagumpay ng ating sambayanan at ng ating bansa (Your success is the success of our people and our nation)," he said in his concession speech.
"Galangin at tanggapin natin pasya ng ating mga kababayan. Ayon sa unofficial count ng Comelec, malinaw na si Mayor Rodrigo Duterte ang magiging susunod na pangulo ng Pilipinas (Let us respect and accept the decision of our fellow citizens. According to the unofficial count of the Comelec, it's clear that Mayor Rodrigo Duterte will be the next president of the Philippines)," Roxas said.
At 1:08 pm, around the time Roxas delivered his concession speech, he was second in the presidential race with 9,249,813 or 23.3% of votes, against Duterte's 15,342,569 votes or 38.7%, based on the Comelec-GMA-7 mirror server.
While his fight may be over, he noted that his running mate, Leni Robredo, remains in a tight vice presidential race.
"Hindi pa tapos ang laban ni Leni. Angat siya; lumalaban siya. Patuloy tayong magbantay, manalig, at sumuporta. Siguraduhin nating mabibilang nang tama ang kanyang boto. At habang ginagawa natin ito para kay Leni, simulan natin ang pagbuo sa minamahal nating bansa," he said.
(Leni's fight is not yet over. She is ahead; she's still fighting. Let's continue to be vigilant, have faith, and support her. Let's make sure that all her votes will be counted correctly. And while we're doing this for Leni, let us start uniting our beloved country.)
Unity
He said that after the elections, everyone, regardless of their candidate, should now unite and keep in mind the best qualities of the Filipino.
"Mga kababayan, higit pa sa pagiging supporter o kapartido ng kahit sinong kandidato, Pilipino tayo: maka-Diyos, may pakikitungo at malasakit sa kapwa at naniniwalang lahat ng mahalaga sa buhay ay pinaghihirapan. Patuloy nating ipaglaban ang mga prinsipyong ito," he said
(My countrymen, more than being a supporter or a partymate of any candidate, we are Filipinos: God-fearing, compassionate, and of the belief that all the important things in life should be worked hard for. Let us continue to fight for these principles.)
"Ibigay natin ang lahat ng ating makakaya para makamit natin ang ating kolektibong minimithi. Ipakita natin sa bawat salita, sa bawat gawa, sa bawat kilos natin ang tunay na diwa ng pagiging Pilipino," Roxas added.
(Let's give our all to attain our collective aspirations. Let us show the true spirit of being Filipino in our every word, every act, every move.)
At the start of his speech, Roxas thanked all his supporters, many of whom "stuck out your necks for this fight" and stayed with the administration coalition till the end.
"Mga kababayan, isang walang kapantay na karangalan na maging tagawagayway ng inyong bandila. (My countrymen, it is my perpetual honor to be your standard-bearer.) To have carried our flag, to have fought a good fight, to have kept the faith, to have finished the race. Maraming, maraming salamat sa inyong lahat. Mabuhay ang Pilipinas (Many, thank thanks to all of you. Long live the Philippines)," he said.
Noticing that some of his supporters were getting emotional over his speech, Roxas said: "There are many tears in the room. Let me tell you: this is not a time for tears. For our country, we have had a peaceful, successful transfer of power. It’s not about me. It’s not about anyone. It’s about how we love our country and how we’ll do all that we can can for her. She’s the only one."
Roxas was the second presidential candidate to concede to Duterte after Senator Grace Poe. – Rappler.com