Bong Go, Bato dominate overseas voting in UAE

The Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) emerged as the leading party in the Philippine Senate overseas voting in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where a significant number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) reside.

According to data from the Commission on Elections (Comelec), Senator Bong Go topped the polls in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai. He received 9,775 votes in Abu Dhabi and 17,684 votes in Dubai — the highest tallies in both locations.

Trailing closely behind was fellow PDP-Laban incumbent Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, who garnered 9,306 votes in Abu Dhabi and 16,741 votes in Dubai.

Other PDP-Laban candidates who made it to the top rankings in both cities include Raul Lambino, Phillip “Ipe” Salvador, Jayvee Hinlo, and Jimmy Bondoc.

Also making a notable appearance in the UAE Senate race was detained religious leader and Kingdom of Jesus Christ founder Pastor Apollo Quiboloy. He placed 9th in Abu Dhabi with 4,533 votes and 8th in Dubai with 8,110 votes.

Despite the strong showing for PDP-Laban, overall voter turnout was low. In Abu Dhabi, only 20.05 percent of the 66,001 registered voters cast their ballots, totaling 13,234 voters. Dubai posted a similarly low turnout, with 19.97 percent of 123,891 registered voters participating, equivalent to 24,742 actual voters.

The UAE hosts the largest population of registered Filipino voters among overseas posts, making its results a notable indicator of OFW sentiment.