Amid rating dip, Poe reminds voters: ‘I am still a candidate’

Senator Grace Poe. FACEBOOK PHOTO

Following a new survey showing that she was overtaken by Vice President Jejomar Binay in the presidential race, Senator Grace Poe is now calling on her supporters to help her spread the word that she is still a candidate for president in May.

“I value the insights from public opinion surveys as an impetus to remain steadfast in my work and to continue reaching out to people to let them know about my platform and plans,” Poe said in a statement on Friday.

“I also urge my supporters to help me spread the word that I remain a candidate for President in the upcoming elections and I am ready to serve the people,” she added.

Poe was reacting to the latest Social Weather Stations’ (SWS) survey conducted from January 8 to 10 among 1, 200 respondents nationwide, which showed Binay as the voters’ top choice for president with 31 percent.

READ: Binay maintains lead; Poe, Roxas, Duterte in statistical tie—survey

Binay was followed by Poe with 24 percent, former Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas with 21 percent, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte with 20 percent, and Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago with three percent.

The survey had a margin of error of ±3 points.

Poe’s spokesman, Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian, said they would use the new survey as a basis to “calibrate” their next moves.

“The recent survey results will serve as guide and roadmap for our next campaign steps,” Gatchalian said in a separate statement.

“We will see to it that we calibrate our next moves based on the data that came out of the survey. We will continue to advocate and drum up Sen. Poe’s platform of governance that is based on inclusive growth — Gobyernong may Puso kung saan walang maiiwanan (a government with a heart where no one is left behind),” Gatchalian added.

Poe earlier said that her ratings in the surveys had been affected by the disqualification cases filed against her amid questions on her citizenship and residency.

READ: DQ cases affected my rating, says Poe

This, despite her repeated pronouncement that she is a natural born Filipino and that she has complied with the 10-year residency requirement for candidates running for president. IDL

RELATED VIDEO