Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV on Thursday downplayed the recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey that showed Vice President Jejomar Binay as the respondents’ top choice to be the successor of President Benigno Aquino III.
Casting doubt on the pollster’s credibility, Trillanes, who is seeking the vice presidency, said voters should not regard the SWS survey as “biblical truth.”
“Malakas yata siya (Binay) sa SWS, kasi SWS lang ang nagsasabi na number one siya,” Trillanes told reporters in a Senate forum.
“‘Wag nating gawing biblical truth ang nilalabas ng SWS kasi pumalpak na ito. Noong 2004 sinabi nila na si Gloria (Macapagal-Arroyo) ang nanalo,” he added.
Despite a drop in ratings, Binay maintained his lead in the latest SWS survey of preferred presidential candidates with 29 percent. Sen. Grace Poe and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte were statistically tied at second place with 24 percent.
In the Pulse Asia survey, however, Poe regained her lead while Binay was tied at second place with Duterte and administration bet Mar Roxas.
Trillanes’ Magdalo group is endorsing Poe for president.
Trillanes said both the public and the media should not forget that SWS allegedly committed mistakes in survey results in the past.
“Naging instrumento ng trending itong SWS. For us to assume that what they are saying is true eh magkakamali tayo,” he said. “Kailangan yung media should have that institutional memory na bogus lang ito. Kung sino yung magkamali, ibig sabihin palpak. Eh nagkamali na ‘yan before eh.”
Nevertheless, the soldier-turned-senator said he was optimistic that his numbers would go up in time for the national elections through “grassroots campaigning.”
“I believe were going to catch up. Sabi ko nga noong 2007 (senatorial election), mas mahirap ‘yung lagay namin nun, walang gaanong resources pero nagwork ‘yung aming template. Ngayon pa na mas lumaki na ‘yung grupo,” Trillanes said.
“Mas flexible ako, mas mabilis ang galaw kasi walang gaanong entourage. Whenever I can, I do media appearances. Ang bottomline kasi dito is to send your message across all voters during the 90-campaign period. Nagsimula lang kami Feb. 9, ‘yung mga kalaban namin a year ago pa,” he added.
Trillanes trailed all other vice presidential candidates in recent preference surveys, namely Senators Francis Escudero and Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo, and Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Gringo Honasan.
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