Groundswell of support reflected in Robredo’s survey spike, says spox

Presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo at a whistlestop at the Hinigaran Public Plaza in Negro Occidental on Friday, March 11, 2022. Robredo and daughters Aika and Tricia rode a pink truck as they waved to the thousands of supporters who cheered them on along the road. (VP Leni Media Bureau)

MANILA, Philippines — Voter preference surveys are now starting to reflect the groundswell of support for Vice President Leni Robredo’s bid for the presidency, her spokesperson said.

In a statement on Wednesday, lawyer Barry Gutierrez said surveys are now showing just how many people are rallying behind Robredo, and help her win the presidency come election day on May 9.

“The survey numbers are starting to reflect what we have been seeing on the ground all along: the massive crowds, the fierce passion, the untiring commitment of Filipinos from all walks of life, coming together to rally behind Leni Robredo’s bid for the Presidency,” Gutierrez said.

This statement from Robredo’s spokesperson came after polling firm Pulse Asia released its latest survey results, which showed Robredo still a far second to frontrunner former senator Bongbong Marcos.

However, the same survey also showed that Marcos’ numbers went down by 4 percentage points, from 60 percent in February to 56 percent. Robredo meanwhile gained 9 percentage points, moving her from 15 percent to 24 percent.

Gutierrez said the Pulse Asia survey clearly shows that Robredo now has the momentum, with a little over a month before election day.

“This 13-point swing going into the last two months of the campaign clearly establishes what we have long known: VP Leni has the momentum, which we expect will only further intensify and accelerate all the way to May 9,” he explained.

“What we are seeing now is the turning of the tide. Sa tulong ng ating mga kababayang patuloy na kumikilos, kumakatok, nakikiusap, nangungumbinsi, ipapanalo natin ito,” he added.

(What we are seeing now is the turning of the tide.  With the help of our fellow Filipinos who continue to move, knock, plead, and convince other people, we can win this fight.)

Earlier, Pulse Asia released its survey results which showed Marcos still leading in all locales — 64 percent in Metro Manila, 54 percent in Balance Luzon, 48 percent in Visayas, and 62 percent in Mindanao.  In contrast, Robredo only got 17 percent in Metro Manila, 30 percent in Balance Luzon, 28 percent in Visayas, and 14 percent in Mindanao.

However the same survey showed Marcos registering negative points in all locales: -2 in Metro Manila, -4 in Balance Luzon, -5 in Visayas, and -6 in Mindanao — compared to Robredo who despite losing one percentage point in Metro Manila, scored big with a +14 in Balance Luzon, and +9 each in Visayas and Mindanao.

Marcos still leads across social classes, but he also got lower scores — -4 for people belonging to Class C, -5 for Class D, and -6 for Class E.  Robredo on the other hand gained +13 from Class C, +10 from Class D, and +9 from Class E.

When the February edition of Pulse Asia’s survey was released, Gutierrez calmed supporters’ fears about Robredo’s campaign not getting any traction, stressing that the numbers do not reflect the massive ground movements.

While Robredo already attracted huge crowds during the early part of the official campaign season, numbers started to increase mid-February, starting with her rallies in Cebu, Iloilo, Cavite, Bulacan, Isabela, Bacolod, Zamboanga, Basilan, and then in Pasig City which drew a record crowd of over 100,000.

READ: Leni Robredo spokesman: Feb survey doesn’t reflect yet ‘snowballing’ of support

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/MUF