By ELLEN T. TORDESILLAS
Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. is the biggest gainer among those who filed their certificates of candidacy last week, placing second in the vice-presidential race that has always been dominated by Chiz Escudero, running mate of presidential candidate Grace Poe, results of the survey conducted by the Magdalo group four days after the Commission on Elections closed the filing of certificates of candidacies for the 2016 elections last Oct. 16.
The survey, conducted on Oct 20 through 23, also showed Poe increasing her lead over her rivals in the presidential race with Jojo Binay of United Nationalist Alliance still running second.
The results:
Candidates for President:
Grace Poe, 43%; Jejomar Binay, 26%; Mar Roxas, 17%; Miriam D. Santiago, 11%
Candidates for Vice President: Chiz Escudero,37%; Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr, 24%; Alan Cayetano and Antonio Trillanes IV , both with 11%; Leni Robredo, 9%; Gringo Honasan, 7%.
Based on the survey results,the surge in popularity of Liberal Party’s candidate Mar Roxas after the endorsement of President Aquino and his declaration to run for the presidency in 2016 seems to have ended. His numbers have remained the same and have not been boosted by having the much-admired Leni Robredo as his running mate.
The last survey by SWS and Pulse Asia showing Roxas getting close to frontrunner Poe was conducted before the latter declared her candidacy last Sept. 16.
Robredo performed better than UNA vice presidential bet Gringo Honasan. Other vice presidential bets like Escudero, Antonio Trillanes IV, and Alan Cayetano, saw their numbers going down.
Robredo’s good showing in the survey didn’t seem to boost Roxas.
Even the results from Panay provinces (Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo) showed Miriam Defensor-Santiago eating up on some of Roxas’potential votes. Santiago is from Iloilo and Roxas is from Capiz.
In Facebook, artist Rock Drilon posted an open letter to fellow Ilonggos not to vote for Santiago.
A portion of his letter read: “A vote for Miriam Santiago is one less vote for Mar Roxas. Yes our very own Mar Roxas who is one true Ilonggo and the Mar Roxas who has quietly and consistently done so much for country and the Ilonggo region…
“My friend, a vote for Miriam Santiago is not only one less vote for Mar Roxas, it is also a vote for the ultimate return of the Marcoses and the Tropang Plunderers whether or not you vote for Bongbong. Worse, your vote for Miriam Santiago is a vote for a traitor to our country and an even bigger traitor to the Ilonggo region.”
The decision of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte not to run for president seems to have benefitted Poe more than other presidential candidates.
Aside from Poe, Roxas, Binay and Santiago, the Magdalo survey also included in the list Roy Señeres and Ausuto Syjuco, Jr who have filed their COC for president.
The Magdalo group has been conducting surveys since the first senatorial run of its leader, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, in 2007. The survey is designed and supervised by Trillanes’ chief-of-staff , Rolando “Oyie” Averilla.
