Pimentel: PDP-Laban did not commission survey

The chief of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) says the party is not behind the latest Pulse Asia survey that shows Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte as the top choice of Metro Manila residents for president.

Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Thursday said PDP-Laban had no budget to commission the survey.

“Hindi ko alam. Basta ang PDP-Laban hindi nagco-commission, wala kaming pera,” he told a reporter asking who commissioned the survey, which was conducted from Nov. 11 to 12 among 300 respondents in Metro Manila.

Duterte topped the survey with 34 percent, followed by Sen. Grace Poe with 26; Vice President Jejomar Binay, 22; former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, 11; and Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, 7 percent.

READ: Duterte leads in Metro poll

“Of course, masaya ang partido at lahat po ng supporters ni Mayor Duterte na number one sya sa survey sa Metro Manila at a time na hindi pa po sya deklarado, so maganda pong bwena-mano,” Pimentel said.

The mayor declared his presidential bid only last Nov. 21.

If the survey had a margin of error of plus or minus six percent, Pimentel said it would be a statistical tie between Duterte and Poe.

“But it’s still good enough for a person who has not even filed, who has not even declared his candidacy for president,” he said.