MANILA, Philippines — Presidential contender Vice President Jejomar Binay conceded to Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, three days after the May 9 presidential elections.
Joey Salgado, Binay's spokesperson, said the vice president has spoken with Duterte, who has a convincing lead in the unofficial tally of the Commission on Elections transmitted through transparency servers to its citizen arm.
"He extended his congratulations and wished the president-elect all the best," Salgado said in a statement issued late Thursday.
Binay, who was the front-runner among presidential candidates in early pre-election surveys, conceded after two other candidates did. Independent Sen. Grace Poe conceded on election night, while Liberal Party standard-bearer Manuel "Mar" Roxas II, the chosen bet of President Benigno Aquino III, admitted defeat the day after.
On Thursday night, Duterte maintained a lead garnering almost 16 million votes, according to semi-official counts. — Camille Diola