Representatives of the Makabayan bloc led by Rep. Neri Colmenares link arms with Sen. Grace Poe and Sen. Chiz Escudero during a solidarity event at the Quezon City Sports Club on Thursday. The group declared support for Team Galing at Puso in the 2016 election.(MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) – The camp of Sen. Grace Poe and a Malacañang spokesperson on Monday brushed off the lead of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte in a Social Weather Stations (SWS) pre-election survey.
Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said they remain confident that administration bet Mar Roxas will win the 2016 presidential elections.
“The candidates will have six months to present their platform to the people. In the meantime, survey numbers will go up or down but the only survey that matters is the one in May,” said Lacierda.
President Benigno Aquino III has endorsed Roxas as his anointed successor in 2016.
Roxas ranked fourth in the SWS survey conducted November 26 to 28, garnering 15 percent.
The camp of Poe, meanwhile, said survey results are only snap shots of the people’s sentiments at a given time frame.
“People’s sentiments change depending on what message they hear. Our resolve is to intensify and amplify the message of Sen Poe- her message of inclusive growth and good governance,” he said in a text message on Monday.
“We believe that giving focus to this will convert more people into supporting her,” he added.
Poe, who led previous SWS surveys, was tied with Vice President Jejomar Binay at second place with 21 percent in the latest survey.
Duterte topped the survey with 38 percent.
Caloocan City Rep. Edgar Erice, political affairs chief of the Liberal Party (LP), said surveys do not determine the result of coming presidential election.
“It’s the mood of the day. Surveys are tools but definitely not the result of the election,” Erice told in a text message.
“We in the LP believes that [the] people will choose continuity of Daang Matuwid and they will choose a decent guy, a decent Filipino for a decent county like the Philippines,” he added. (MNS)