Duterte ‘regains momentum’

DAVAO City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has gained some momentum, with 24 percent of voters preferring him over other presidential candidates in a nationwide survey that Social Weather Stations (SWS) conducted days before the official campaign period began.

Gaining 4 percentage points, Duterte was tied in second place with Sen. Grace Poe, whose rating stayed flat between the early part of January and the first week of February.

Vice President Jejomar Binay, although still ahead at 29 percent, slipped 2 percentage points.

Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Mar Roxas, with 18 percent, lost 3 points from January while Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago got 4 percent from 3 percent.

“We are hopeful that as the campaign progresses, we would be able to continue this upward trend and gain more supporters,” the head of the Duterte media group, Peter Tiu Laviña, said in a statement on Monday morning.

“This is proof of the rising clamor for genuine change. Our country is mired in drugs, crime, corruption and poverty,” Laviña said.

The campaign for candidates for President, Vice President, senator and party-list groups began on Feb. 9 and would last until May 7.

Duterte’s rating in the latest SWS survey was nevertheless far below the 38 percent he got in the survey last November that was commissioned by a Davao businessman and supporter of the mayor.

Questions were raised about the results of the commissioned SWS survey, as respondents had been told that Duterte was on the list of possible presidential candidates.

Duterte’s ratings then dropped after he cursed Pope Francis for tying traffic in Metro Manila during his visit in January last year, acknowledged that he had several female partners and admitted to killing kidnapper-rapists in Davao City.

First published in BusinessWorld, the latest SWS survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

SWS said it conducted face-to-face interviews with 1,200 respondents, registered voters whose digital biometrics had been validated by the Commission on Elections.

Getting tighter

Results of the survey suggest that the race among the top three presidential candidates is getting closer, said Edmund Tayao, political science professor at the University of Santo Tomas.

“The voters have yet to decide whom to vote for. They are still looking for a key reason that would lead them to choose a candidate and stay supportive of that candidate,” Tayao said.

To stand out, Tayao said, a candidate has to be forthcoming when it comes to his or her response to key problems of the country, avoid motherhood statements and deliver specific positions on issues.

Binay thankful

Binay was “thankful” to his supporters as he continued to lead in the latest survey, according to Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco, president of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).

“No matter what the numbers are, the Vice President is committed to work hard for the poor,” Tiangco said of UNA’s standard-bearer.

Binay’s campaign spokesperson, Rico Quicho, said the survey results proved that the Vice President’s core support remains “solid” and was “steadily growing. ”

“While the present survey results are encouraging, the Vice President is well aware that the real survey is still on Election Day itself,” Quicho said in a statement.

He said Binay would continue to spread his message that competence, experience in governance and compassion were the key factors to fight poverty and provide jobs, quality education and healthcare services.

LP unfazed

The LP remained unfazed by the third place that Roxas and his running mate, Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo, garnered in the same SWS survey.

Senate President Franklin Drilon, the LP vice chair, said the campaign season was just one week old, and he urged media to “just wait a bit.”

But Drilon, a reelectionist senator, said he did not think there was a need to make any adjustments in the LP campaign following the latest SWS survey.

“Once our campaign takes off, I’m sure we will be able to bring our numbers up,” Drilon told the Pandesalan forum in Kamuning, Quezon City.

Drilon said President Aquino would actively campaign for Roxas, Robredo and other LP candidates and that the Chief Executive would be able to draw in the crowds.

“No matter what our critics say, what they cannot deny is that out of the past presidents after Edsa, this is the President who has maintained his popularity up to the last six months of his administration,” Drilon said.

The President also believed Roxas was the “best candidate to carry through (his policy of good governance) to the next administration.”

Competition stiff

Akbayan Rep. Barry Gutierrez, spokesperson of the LP-led Daang Matuwid coalition, said changes in the survey ratings of presidential aspirants were expected.

“Like what we always say, the true survey will be held in May. You can see in the SWS survey that the competition is really stiff,” Gutierrez told reporters.

In a separate statement, he said the SWS poll showed that those aspiring to be the next occupant of Malacañang were in a “dead heat.”

Gutierrez said Roxas was virtually tied in second place along with Duterte and Poe because the margin of error was 3 percentage points.

Results as guide

Poe’s camp said it would use the SWS data as guide for its next moves.

“Our resolve is to continue to focus on our message of inclusive governance—gobyernong may puso (government with a heart). We will also continue to detail to our voters that Senator Poe is still a candidate in the running in the upcoming elections,” said Poe’s spokesperson, Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian.

In a text message, Gatchalian said the Poe camp would continue to go around the country to personally meet with the people and lay down its platform and agenda on how to best serve the Filipinos.

Duterte’s plane

Duterte failed to show up at a scheduled rally in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental province, on Monday afternoon because his plane encountered mechanical problems.

His running mate, Sen. Allan Peter Cayetano, said Duterte could not leave Davao City because the plane had mechanical problems. Cayetano, who flew in from Manila, was in Tagoloan.

Christopher Go, the Davao City mayor’s executive assistant, confirmed to the Inquirer that Duterte was supposed to fly to Cagayan de Oro for the 1 p.m. rally in Tagoloan, but decided not to after the aircraft, which was “lent by a friend,” had mechanical trouble. With reports from Marlon Ramos, Christine O. Avendaño, Leila Salaverria and Gil Cabacungan in Manila; and Ana Roa, Inquirer Research