Palace on Roxas’ poll showing: ‘Slow but sure’

Liberal party presidential candidate Mar Roxas flashes the Laban sign at a campaign sortie in Ligao City, Albay.
INQUIRER PHOTO/RAFFY LERMA

“Slow but sure,” was how Malacañang described the performance of LIberal Party standard-bearer Manuel “Mar” Roxas II in the latest Pulse Asia survey.

“The race has tightened. Dikit dikit po lahat. (It’s neck and neck.) In fact…No one can really be said [is] in a major lead because ang dikit nga nung diperensya nung iba’t ibang mga kandidato (because the differences in ratings between the candidates are very close),” undsecretary Manuel Quezon III said in an interview over state-run DZRB radio on Saturday.

“So this tells us that people are really thinking hard about their choices,” Quezon said.

In the Pulse Asia survey released on Friday, Roxas got a 21 percent voter preference compared to Senator Grace Poe and Vice President Jejomar Binay who shared the top spot in the presidential preference poll, with 26 percent and 25 percent.

READ: Poe, Binay share lead; Escudero, Marcos ‘statistically tied’—Pulse Asia

Quezon said the poll ratings of Roxas’ rivals’ have been fluctuating while his ratings are steadily going up.

“Slow but sure,” he said.

The Palace official said the first presidential debate in Cagayan de Oro City helped Roxas a lot.

“So as the campaign goes on, ang siguro dito malaki ang epekto ng mga debate, dahil nakikita sa debate sino ang may masustansyang sagot,” he said.

“Doon natin makikita na doon talaga mapapa-isip ang ating mga kababayan at magde-decide sila ayon nga sa alin ba ang masustansya at talagang may sagot sa lahat ng tanong sa isipan natin, Alin ba yung entertainment lamang, or walang masyadong nagba-back sa kanilang sinasabi,” he added.

(So, as the campaign goes on, perhaps the debate will prove to be of great weight since it is in the debate where they can see whose answers have substance.

That’s where we can see that our countrymen are thinking and deciding based on which answers have substance and who has answers to the questions we have in mind. Which are only for entertainment or [if] their statements have no backing.) CDG

READ: Roxas shines in 1st presidential debate―INQUIRER.net readers