FORMER Senator Bam Aquino delivered a surprise comeback on Monday night, stunning voters by clinching the second spot in the partial and unofficial senatorial results, just hours after polls closed.
Aquino, who lost his Senate seat in 2019, now finds himself among the frontrunners such as Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, Deputy Majority Leader Erwin Tulfo, former Senators Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan and Panfilo “Ping” Lacson — a shocking outcome given that he consistently failed to make it to the top 12 in pre-election surveys.
The early tally, based on 67.76 percent of local election returns and 19.42 percent of overseas returns as of 8:15 p.m., came as a surprise to many observers who didn’t expect Aquino’s name to rank so high this early in the count.
Supporters of Aquino, a known education and youth advocate, expressed excitement online over his strong showing, with many calling it a “comeback fueled by hope and track record.”
As votes continue to come in, Aquino’s position in the rankings will be closely watched, especially with millions of ballots still to be canvassed.