Marcos, Sara, Tulfo still lead in Pulse Asia survey
FRONTRUNNING presidential aspirant former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his runningmate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte during a caravan. Marcos and Duterte are projected to win the elections on May 9 if surveyes were to be the basis alone.
By Claire Morales True
QUEZON CITY – If surveys are to be believed, the UniTeam of presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and vice-presidential bet Sara Duterte-Carpio will dominate the races as they maintained their lead in the February 18 to 23 electoral survey of Pulse Asia first noted from the polling results in January.
In the senatorial race, the survey also showed that broadcast journalist Raffy Tulfo also continued topping reelectionist or comebacking senators and the new candidates with 66.9 percent.
The survey showed Tulfo is followed by Antique Rep. Loren Legarda (58.9 percent), and former Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar (56.2 percent), Taguig City-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano (55 percent), re-electionist Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri (50.5 percent) and Sorsogon Gov. Francis Escudero (49.8 percent).
Following behind were actor Robin Padilla (47.3 percent), former Vice-President Jejomar Binay (45.6 percent), re-electionist Senators Sherwin Gatchalian (44.6 percent) and Joel Villanueva (42 percent), and former senator Jose Jinggoy Estrada (38.6 percent).
Re-electionist Sen. Risa Hontiveros and former Quezon City mayor Herbert Bautista were tied for 12th place with 32.8 percent each, followed by former senator Joseph Victor JV Estrada Ejercito with 31.6 percent
The latest Pulse Asia survey showed Marcos remained as the top choice of voters with 60 percent (unchanged from January), followed by Vice President Maria Leonor Leni Robredo with 15 percent (from 16 percent), Manila Mayor Francisco Isko Moreno Domagoso with 10 percent (from 8 percent), Sen. Emmanuel Manny Pacquiao with 8 percent (unchanged) and Sen. Panfillo Lacson with 2 percent (from 4 percent).
Robredo, Domagoso, Pacquiao and Lacson shrugged off the survey results, saying they are received by big crowds during their proclamation rallies and caravans and vowed to continue to woo the voters through the platform of government and others.
Robredo’s spokesman, Ibarra Gutierrez, said the latest Pulse Asia survey “was done prior to these game changing developments and does not yet capture the more recent surge in VP Leni’s support.”
“Recent weeks have seen a snowballing in support for VP Leni, with massive, record-breaking rallies from Butuan to Bacolod, Cavite to Isabela, Sampaloc to Malolos,” he said.
“With this clear momentum from the people’s campaign — reflected both in the massive rallies as well as in online metrics – we are confident that the next 56 days will culminate in an election day victory for Leni Robredo,” he said.
Pacquiao laughed off the survey, saying: “Who would belief that? Perhaps they should stop asking only the wealthy people and start getting the opinion of our poor countrymen.
“I have an unshaken faith that the Filipino poor are ready to make themselves heard, to have their chance at better lives,” he added.
Lacson also dismissed the survey, saying: “Surveys are not elections, Last time I heard, (the) election is on May 9. I’m not bothered at all simply because the numbers I feel on the ground are different from what the surveys indicate.”
Duterte-Carpio maintained her 53 percent from January, followed by Senate President Vicente Sotto with 24 percent (from 29 percent), Sen. Francis Pangilinan with 11 percent (unchanged), Dr. Willie Ong with 6 percent (from 5 percent), Buhay Partylist Rep. Lito Atienza with 1 percent (unchanged).
Those who received less than 1 percent include Manny Lopez, Walden Bello, Serapio Carlos with 09.1 percent each while Rizalito David received zero percent.
Duterte-Carpio enjoyed majority support across socio-economic groupings (58 percent to 61 percent) and was the top choice for vice president across all geographic areas (41 percent to 82 percent). (Claire Morales True)
