Downhearted end to US Embassy watch party as Trump wins

US Embassy in Manila, Philippines. AP FILE PHOTO

MANILA — If the US Embassy election watch party in Manila were the USA, Hillary Clinton would have been the first female US president.

The embassy’s guests turned out to be pro-Clinton, as most left the Grand Sunset Pavilion of the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila with heavy hearts as Republican candidate Donald Trump galvanized his election victory. A small group of Filipinos also cheered when it was announced that Clinton won in California.

The mock elections were among the sidelights at the election party.

US charge d’affaires Michael Klecheski announced that there were 324 voters, assuming that everyone voted only once.

He said that from the total vote cast, 82.4 percent went for Clinton while 12.9 percent chose Trump.

Klecheski reminded the audience that their votes did not count in the Nov. 8 elections, drawing laughter from the crowd.

The election watch ended at around 2 p.m., when almost all the electoral college votes had come in, giving Trump a surprise victory in the hotly contested presidential race.  SFM