When losing candidates accept their fate, more or less

MANILA, Philippines - As 70 percent of total votes cast were counted on Tuesday, clear winners--and losers--of the Senate race have surfaced, with several categorically admitting defeat while others hang on to last signs of hope that they will somehow recover and enter the top 12.

Many of those who trailed in the partial and unofficial tallies did not hesitate using social media as a venue to thank their supporters and express what they feel in what possibly could be the last hours of tallying.

Ang Kapatiran's Marwil Llasos, a lawyer, was the first to concede from the Senate race early on Tuesday as tallies show his numbers falling third from last as early as Monday night.

Llasos' official Facebook page screamed of thanks as the national poll neophyte expressed his appreciation -- in capital letters -- to those who accompanied him in the election "battle."

Two-time presidential aspirant-turned-senatorial hopeful Eddie Villanueva, meanwhile, congratulated his fellow candidates in his Twitter account.

Villanueva, founder of fundamentalist Christian group Jesus is Lord Movement, also appealed to supernatural optimism in accepting his political fate.

Democratic Party of the Philippines' Christian Señeres, who attempted to enter the Senate after several years in the House of Representatives, thanked those who trusted him with their votes.

Finishing second from the bottom so far, Señeres urged supporters to continue praying for the homeland.

Team Pnoy's Risa Hontiveros, who earlier admitted she has always wanted to try out the performance arts, resorted to poetic prose on her Twitter feed to convey her seemingly ambiguous emotions over partial poll results.

Asked in a previous interview about the possibility of senatorial defeat, the alampay-wearing Akbayan representative said that she is "used to losing."

Other senatorial candidates trailing in the charts so far, however, are not as resigned.

Young lawmaking aspirant Greco Belgica, Señeres' running mate, also used Facebook to thank those who helped him throughout the campaign, but he expresses some reservation in acknowledging the results' credibility.