Polled

IF Filipinos are to cast their votes on who will be their next president, Vice President Jejomar Binay will be the runaway winner, garnering 31 percent of the votes. Interior and Local Government Sec. Mar Roxas will be lagging behind with only 13 percent.
Based on the recent Pulse Asia survey results, Binay still tops the list of potential candidates in the 2016 Philippine national elections. The survey was conducted in September, amid the Senate investigation into the alleged overpriced Makati City Hall Building and kickback allegations thrown at the Binays from various Makati City projects.
While he still leads the pack, he is also the most targeted. In a previous survey in June, Pulse Asia results showed that 41 percent of the respondents want Binay to be the next President. This is a remarkable turnaround for the leader touted as the most popular to be Pres. Benigno Aquino III’s successor.
According to Pulse Asia President Ronald Holmes, the biggest factor attributed to the erosion in Binay’s numbers is the negative implication from the Senate inquiry. With less than two years left until the elections, Binay’s detractors might still have more tricks up their sleeves to bring his numbers down.
Binay’s camp is not surprised considering the recent bombardment he received amid the Senate inquiry. They are surprised, however, that the numbers didn’t plunge lower than 10 points.
“Given the very challenging and rough times that the Vice President faced in the past weeks, we expected a bigger decline – but the latest survey results are a surprise for us,” said UNA interim president Toby Tiangco.
Tiangco said the latest results will motivate Binay to elevate the bar of public service higher and that no amount of smear and slander can rattle him. He added that they expect more mudslinging against the Vice President as the elections draw near.
Although they are a good affirmation from the people, survey ratings on politicians are fairly blunt instruments. They do indicate the public’s general feeling toward a politician at a given point in time, but they don’t predict the real score of how the leaders faired in their responsibilities.
Still, looking at politicians’ favorability through numbers can provide suggestions. It is not difficult to interpret the results. If the numbers get low, Filipinos are dissatisfied, many believing the country is headed in the wrong direction and that the political system is hampered.
For politicians, the numbers these ratings show is a yardstick that tells them of their standing among the hoi polloi. If the numbers are unfavorable, the ratings serve as a wakeup call. If the numbers are positive, the leaders are subjected to discernment. They are given an option to either be complacent or work even harder to make a lasting impression to the public.
Binay and also current leaders should take a second look at the numbers not to think of how to bring them up. Instead of working double time on increasing popularity and gaining plaudits, they should let the figures shown in the recent polls—no matter how high or low—encourage them to do more groundwork and be inspired to do more for the people.
(AJPress)