STATEMENT OF SENATOR MAR ROXAS
As read by Quezon Rep. Erin Tañada

"Magandang gabi po sa inyo. Gusto ko lang magpaabot ng mensahe sa ating mga kababayan: Hangga't hindi pa tapos ang bilangan, hindi pa tapos ang laban.

"The race as between me and my closest competitor is indeed very tight. However, it is not for me, or anybody for that matter, to say if we've already lost, or if we will win in the end. It is up to the sovereign will of the people.

"The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting's latest partial and unofficial tally as of this afternoon (as of 5:30pm -ed.) is based on roughly 85% of all election returns. This means roughly five million voters in more than 11,000 precincts have yet to be taken into consideration. Of this, roughly half are expected to come from our bailiwick regions. This just underscores that the fight is not yet over, and we should remain vigilant.

"At this point, I would like to thank: all our volunteers and supporters who have been guarding the people's sacred right to vote; all the teachers and election officers who have been steadfast in their duty, in spite of the difficulty in navigating our new method of election.

"Most especially, I would like to thank the Filipino people for coming out to vote, despite the scorching heat of the sun; despite the long lines; and despite terror being sowed by some elements to compromise our democratic process.

"And at this point, I would like to make one more request: tuloy ang pagbabantay. Patuloy na maging mapagmatyag, hanggang sa kadulu-duluhan ng halalang ito. Sama sama po tayo, hindi natin pababayaan ang isa't isa, tuloy ang laban."