Roxas camp covets steady rise, not instant surges

Liberal Party (LP) presidential standard-bearer Mar Roxas FILE PHOTO

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s continuous rise in the surveys does not matter to the Liberal Party as long as the numbers of its standard-bearer Manuel “Mar” Roxas II are rising slowly but surely.

“Daang Matuwid” coalition spokesperson and Akbayan Representative Barry Gutierrez on Tuesday said they are unperturbed by Duterte’s lead in the latest Social Weather Stations and Pulse Asia surveys.

Gutierrez said the camp of Roxas, who’s consistently in fourth place in the latest polls, would rather choose a “slow and steady rise” instead of a sudden surge in the surveys.

“If you look at ‘yung current frontrunners du’n sa surveys, si Senador Poe at saka si Mayor Duterte, historically talaga namang taas-baba ‘yung kanilang mga numero.  So, kami, we would rather have a slow and steady rise kaysa naman doon sa ikaw magsu-surge at biglang babagsak na naman,” the spokesperson said in a media briefing at the LP headquarters in Cubao, Quezon City.

(If you look at the current frontrunners in surveys—Senator (Grace) Poe and (Davao City) Mayor (Rodrigo) Duterte—historically, their numbers have been fluctuating. For us, we would rather have a slow and steady rise than surge and then fall in an instant.)

The latest Pulse Asia survey, which was conducted from March 29 to April 3, showed Roxas in fourth place with 19 percent. This was the same number he registered in the firm’s March 8 to 13 survey. This is lower than the 20 percent he got in the firm’s March 1 to 6 poll. A Pulse Asia survey, conducted from February 15 to 20, showed Roxas with 21 percent rating.

READ: Duterte overtakes Poe to pace Pulse Asia poll

An SWS survey, conducted from March 30 to April 2, showed that Roxas registered 18 percent. This is lower than the 22 percent he obtained in the firm’s poll, which was conducted from March 4 to 7.

READ: Duterte is new frontrunner in SWS poll

With barely a month before Election Day, Gutierrez said the ruling party is confident that Roxas’ steady numbers will translate into enough votes for Roxas to win.

Gutierrez also brought up the “real possibility” of anti-Duterte voters consolidating to bring down the numbers of the feisty Mindanaoan mayor now that he is the new survey frontrunner.

“Tingin ko ngayon nare-realize ng maraming tao na gusto ba talaga nating maging presidente si Mayor Duterte given ‘yung kanyang inconsistency, given ‘yung kanyang weak position on China, given ‘yung kanyang total lack of any diplomatic ability, given ‘yung kanyang lahat ng mga pinagsasabi on killings and all that,” he said.

(I think that more people will now question if they really want Mayor Duterte given his inconsistency, his weak position on China, his total lack of diplomatic ability, and given his pronouncements on killings and all that.)

READ: Duterte a threat to democracy—Roxas

Gutierrez said the administration-backed coalition remains convinced that an “overwhelming majority” still appreciate the gains and successes of the “Daang Matuwid” which President Benigno Aquino III initiated.

“Everything from ‘yung economic growth, to ‘yung restoration ng trust in government institutions, to ‘yung pag-implement ng mga program like 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program) and ‘yung 100 percent PhilHealth coverage to ‘yung infrastructure projects na naitayo,” he said.

((I think people still appreciate) everything from the economic growth, to the restoration of trust in government institutions, to the implementation of programs such as 4Ps, to the 100 percent PhilHealth coverage, to the infrastructure projects that this administration implemented.) IDL

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