MANILA—Independent presidential candidate Senator Grace Poe on Thursday vowed not take for granted the election campaign despite leading pre-election surveys, including a recent nationwide survey conducted by Manila Broadcasting Co. and its flagship station DZRH.
”I’m so thankful for continued trust of our countrymen. What important is we should never get tired, go around the country to inform the people about our message and platforms of government,” Poe told the media after delivering her message to over 7,000 participants of the 80th GoNegosyo Filipina Entrepreneurship Summit at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.
Poe and running mate Senator Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero topped the second pre-election survey ‘Desisyon 2016’ held last Feb. 13 with a total of 7,572 respondents covering all the provinces of the country.
Poe garnered 27 percent with Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, falling to second spot, with 26.4 percent; followed by Vice President Jejomar Binay in third with 21.4 percent; former Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas ranking fourth with 19.0%; and Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago as fifth over-all with 3.9 percent.
Escudero was consistent in the top spot for vice president with 26.8 percent.
”I want to thank the people. I started my full blast election campaign only last Feb. 9 while some my opponents started about a year ago,” Escudero said in an interview with DZRH.
Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos is in the second place in the VP race poll with 25.1 percent followed by Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo with 18.8 percent; Senator Renato Cayetano with 14.8 percent in fourth; Senator Antonio Trillanes in fifth with 6.2 percent; and Senator Gringo Honasan in sixth with 5.5 percent.
Escudero and Poe also led the latest Pulse Asia survey by place second only in the recent Social Weather Station (SWS) survey behind Vice President Jejomar Binay and Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., respectively.
In the senatorial survey, former senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson and Senator Vicente Sotto are tied for the top spot with 53.0 followed by former senator Juan Miguel Zubiri (46.6); ex-Sen. Kiko Pangilinan 42.2; former Justice Secretary Leila De Lima, 38.1; Rep. Manny Pacquiao, 37.9; Sen. Sergio Osmena, 33.6; Philippine Red Cross chairman Dick Gordon, 33.4; Risa Hontiveros, 31.3; and Valenzuela Rep. Win Gatchalian, 28.3.
Meanwhile, Trillanes believed that he will be able to take the survey lead few days before the May 9 elections.
”My grassroots campaigning work for me in the previous elections and I will use the same campaign. There is no backing out. We have enough resources,” Trillanes said during Thursday’s Kapihan sa Senado media forum.