DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio and President Rodrigo Duterte have emerged as Filipinos’ top picks for president and vice president, respectively, in Pulse Asia’s latest poll released on Tuesday, July 13.
The survey, conducted from June 7 to 16, 2021, found that 28% of 2,400 respondents would vote for Sara if the May 2022 presidential elections were held during the survey period.
Sara received the highest support from Mindanao (62%), followed by Visayas (30%), Metro Manila (16%), and Balance Luzon (13%). She also received the highest voter preference in Class E at 40%, followed by Class D (26%) and Class ABC (21%).
Following Sara for presidential bets were Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso (14%), former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (13%), Senator Grace Poe (10%), and Senator Manny Pacquiao (8%).
Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo received 6%, while Senator Panfilo Lacson and Senator Christopher Bong Go had 4% and 3%, respectively.
Eight percent of the respondents were undecided on their preferred presidential candidate, refused to name their favored candidate, or didn’t support anyone.
If their favored candidate for president does not continue his/her candidacy in May 2022, the survey showed that respondents would instead vote for Sara (16%), Poe (13%), Marcos (13%), or Pacquiao (12%).
VP bets
For vice presidential bets, the Philippines’ current president led the pack with 18% of the respondents saying they would vote for him.
Like his daughter, Duterte received the highest votes from Mindanao (35%). This is followed by Visayas (14%), Balance Luzon (13%), and Metro Manila (11%). He also received the highest vote preference in Class D at 18%, followed by Class E (16%) and Class ABC (14%).
Following Duterte were Domagoso (14%), Senate President Vicente Sotto III (10%), Marcos (10%), and Pacquiao (9%).
6% of the respondents were undecided on their preferred presidential candidate, refused to name their favored candidate, or didn’t support anyone.
If their favored candidate for president does not continue his/her candidacy in May 2022, the survey showed that respondents would instead vote for Pacquiao (13%), Marcos (13%), Domagoso (11%), Sotto (11%), or Go (9%).
Trust
In response to the survey results, Malacañang thanked the public for supporting Duterte and his daughter.
“Nagpapasalamat kami sa tiwala ng taong bayan na binigay kay President at kay Mayor Sara Duterte (We are thankful for the support of the people for the President and Mayor Sara Duterte),” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a Palace briefing.
He noted that Duterte still enjoys the public’s trust despite criticisms from the opposition.
“Yan ay nagpapakita na kahit ano pang ipukol ng mga kritiko ni Presidente laban sa kanya ay patuloy pa rin nagtitiwala at naniniwala ang sambayanang Pilipino sa liderato ni President Duterte (That shows that whatever his critics throw at the president, the public still trusts and believes in President Duterte’s leadership),” said Roque.
Last week, Duterte admitted that he is “sold on the idea” of running for vice president in next year’s elections.
“To the proposition that I run for vice president, medyo I’m (somehow) sold [on] the idea. I am seriously thinking of running for vice president,” he said in a meeting with the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) officers on July 5.
Meanwhile, Sara said she is now “open” to the idea of running for the presidency next year.
During a visit to Cebu for a closed-door meeting with Gov. Gwen Garcia at the Provincial Capitol, the younger Duterte said she is “open” to any possibilities when asked in an interview.
Sara also said that one of the reasons for her Cebu visit was to ask the people there “what they really want.”
“It is important for us in [Hugpong ng Pagbabago] to talk to the people, a lot of people, and Governor Garcia allowed us to do so,” she said in a mix of English and Cebuano on July 9.
