MANILA, Philippines — Presidential candidate and Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso says he has evidence to prove that voter preference surveys are “polluted.”
In a joint press conference with fellow presidential bets Senator Panfilo Lacson and former Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales on Sunday, Moreno said they have evidence which is subject of further study.
“If we believe in surveys, sana wala na kami ditong tatlo (the three of us would not be here). The mere fact na nandidito kami (that we are here) — and we will prove it to you later on, this is subject for verification — that we can prove to you na polluted ‘yung survey (that surveys are polluted) because we have an evidence already on hand,” he said.
“We are just verifying it na ‘yung mga enumerator (that enumerators) ay napasok na ng malalaking (have entered big) or what you call political oligarch,” added the Manila mayor.
According to Moreno, survey firms may not know about the issue as they are only analyzers.
“Pulse Asia, [Social Weather Stations] may not know it because they are the [ones] analyzing it but the raw data they’re getting may be, may be subject for further study kasi may hawak-hawak kami ngayon na nahuli na namin ‘yung gumagawa ng survey sa kalsada (because we have proof, we caught the one conducting the survey on the ground),” he revealed.
Based on the latest Pulse Asia voter preference survey, former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is the presidential frontrunner at 56 percentage points followed by Vice President Leni Robredo at 24 percentage points.
Moreno, along with Lacson and Gonzales, said Marcos may have topped the survey as some respondents who do not like Robredo chose him instead.
“I hope ma-enlighten ang tao na baka nga naman, ‘ayaw lang namin du’n sa number 2, kaya kami nagpupunta sa number 1,’” said Moreno.
(I hope people will be enlightened that maybe it is, “I don’t want the number 2, so I’ll just vote for number 1.”)
“Gusto niyo bang huwag manalo si Marcos? Withdraw Leni. Baka may manalo na hindi Marcos, baka isa sa amin,” he said.
(You don’t want Marcos to win? Withdraw Leni. Someone may win who is not a Marcos, maybe one of us.)
Lacson, for his part, shared that he does not believe 50 percent of Filipinos are Marcos loyalists.
Gonzales, meanwhile, said a new “number 2” should be considered.
“‘Wag po nating paniwalaan na ‘yung number 1 at number 2 na ang naglalaban ngayon,” he said.
(Let us not believe that numbers 1 and 2 are the only ones contending.)
“Mamili po kayo kung sinong ilalaban natin sa sinasabing champion na number 1. Hindi pa po tapos ang boxing o basketball. Change player kung kinakailangan kasi ayaw ng taumbayan sa lumalabang number 2. Kaya dapat tignan natin kung may bagong number 2 na papalit,” Gonzales continued.
(Choose who you would like to be pitted against the so-called number one champion. The boxing (match) or basketball (game) is not yet over. Change player if needed because the public does not want the number 2. We should look for a new number 2 that who could be a replacement.)