Alejano, Gutoc hopeful despite not making it to Pulse Asia ‘Magic 12’

MANILA, Philippines — Opposition senatorial candidates Gary Alejano and Samira Gutoc under the Otso Diretso banner have remained hopeful despite not making it to the “Magic 12” of the latest Pulse Asia pre-election survey.

The Magdalo party-list representative said he was “somewhat puzzled” that his awareness level did not change.

“Surveys are just our guide in order attest our strategy. [But] it’s somewhat puzzling to me that since the beginning, my awareness did not increase, 29 pa rin parang in spite of all the campaigining, wala pa ring nakakakilala sa akin (no one has known me),” the former Marine officer said over ANC’s “Headstart” on Tuesday.

He nonetheless remained positive as his ranking continues to go up in the Magdalo-initiated survey, wherein he ranked 21st. In the Feb. 24 to 28 Pulse survey, Alejano got 3 percent voter preference rate and got the 28-37th spot.

READ: Poe still leads senatorial survey as admin bets dominate ‘Magic 12’

Meanwhile, Marawi civic leader Gutoc said in a statement that her slow rise in surveys means that Filipinos are becoming more aware of her platforms on peace, Mindanao development, and women and children empowerment.

The peace advocate also said this means Otso Diretso’s “grassroots and people-centered approach is slowly bearing fruit” and that “more voters are now believing that we should care about pressing issues, that peace is better than violence, that we’ve got to fight for our territory in the West Philippine Sea, and that rape and sexist jokes should be condemned.”

Gutoc got the 26-34th spot in the survey and had 19 percent awareness and 4.4 percent voter’s preference rate.

Alejano further said that more than being the “anti-Duterte vote,” he aims to “awaken the people that they have to assert their rights,” and politically engage in nation-building.

“They have to understand what’s happening to the country. Nation-building, the responsibility of changing this country in upon your shoulders,” he said.

Alejano also stressed that he would not always oppose the government, saying he supported some of the administration’s legislative agenda like the salary increase of members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the national ID system, free tertiary education, free irrigation law, and the proposed 2019 budget.

“We’re not doing this [opposing] just to attack the President personally. He’s the one implementing the policies of this country and therefore we should [hold him accountable],” Alejano said.  /muf

READ: Chel Diokno admits lots of work needed to break into ‘Magic 12’