Kiko: Senate race far from over, Otso bets’ surprise win possible

MANILA, Philippines — Barely two weeks before the May 13 midterm elections, Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan remains hopeful that the opposition coalition’s Otso Diretso Senate slate could pull off a surprise victory,  saying “hindi pa tapos ang boxing (the fight is not yet over).”

The opposition slate’s campaign manager said this Tuesday after Pulse Asia’s April survey showed that Otso Diretso bets continue to lag behind in the senatorial race, with only reelectionist Sen. Bam Aquino making it to the survey’s list of probable winners.

Otso Diretso senatorial bets. NOY MORCOSO / INQUIRER.net

The poll results also came just days before the campaign period ends on May 11.

READ: Poe, Villar share lead in Pulse Asia senatorial survey for April

“Sabi nga nila ang pinakamahalagang survey, ay ‘yung araw ng halalan. At sa aking labing-walong taon bilang senador… nakita natin, may mga pangyayari na sa huling dalawang linggo ng eleksyon, ‘yung mga nasa labas ng top 12 pagdating ng araw ng halalan ay ‘come from behind’ ika nga at naipapanalo nila,” Pangilinan said in an interview over GMA’s News to Go.

“Surprise victory ika nga… So hindi pa tapos ang boxing, ika nga. Ipaglalaban natin ang bawat boto hanggang sa huli,” he added.

The Liberal Party stalwart also said he believes that the voters, in the end, would reject corrupt and dishonest candidates.

“Naniniwala tayo na sa huling banda, ang ating mga kababayan, ayaw nila ng mga kawatan, ayaw nila ng tiwali, gusto nila ng mga honest at tapat at totoong mga kandidato at iyan ang ipinaglalaban natin at sana marinig ng ating mga kababayan ang ating panawagan,” the lawmaker added.

Reelectionist Senators Cynthia Villar and Grace Poe have shared the top spot of the April 10 to 14 Pulse Asia survey, followed by  former Sen. Lito Lapid, Taguig City Rep. and former senator Pia Cayetano, former Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go and Senator Sonny Angara.

Of the probable winners, 10 are running under the Hugpong ng Pagbabago coalition, while one is running as an independent candidate (Poe).

The other three are running under three different political parties – the Nationalist People’s Coalition (Lapid), the United Nationalist Alliance (Senator Nancy Binay), and the Liberal Party (Aquino).

Meanwhile, Makabayan senatorial candidate Neri Colmenares, who ranked 19th to 23rd with a 10.9 percent voter preference rate, was also positive that his ratings have increased despite having no television or radio advertisements during the survey period.

“This shows that our people are considering candidates not only on the basis of popularity or name recall but on more important criteria, like track record, platforms, and one’s stand and actions on the burning issues of the day. I expect my numbers to pick up dramatically in the next two weeks,” Colmenares added. /gsg