VIGAN CITY , Philippines - Being ahead in surveys does not guarantee a candidate of victory, administration presidential candidate Gilbert Teodoro said yesterday.
Teodoro said there are different surveys and their results are often conflicting.
“There are so many surveys but at the end of the day, it is the vote of the people that would decide who is the winner on election day, that is what’s important,” Teodoro told reporters here Wednesday.
Teodoro stressed that to win in the May 10 elections, each candidate would have to secure the support of voters by presenting his platform of government.
“The most important is to win the votes of our people, to show to them that you are trusted and have the capability to manage the nation,” Teodoro told the gathering here.
Teodoro and running mate Edu Manzano attended the 3rd Kannawidan Ylocos Festival commemorating the 192nd foundation anniversary of Ilocos Sur.
Teodoro and Manzano met with local officials at the residence of Deputy National Security Adviser Chavit Singson in Baluarte.
After the meeting, Teodoro and Manzano faced a gathering of thousands of students at the gymnasium of the University of Northern Philippines.
Local officials led by Gov. Deogracias Victor Savellano, Rep. Ronald Singson and Vigan Mayor Eva Marie Singson-Medina assured the tandem of their support.
Earlier, Ilocos Norte officials led by Gov. Michael Keon promised a “solid north vote” for Teodoro’s presidential bid.
Teodoro made the statement following queries over the latest survey results showing him trailing Liberal Party (LP) bet Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and Sen. Manuel “Manny” Villar Jr. of the Nacionalista Party (NP) in the presidential race.
Aquino and Villar are said to have been “statistically even” in the latest survey results released by Pulse Asia on Wednesday.
Teodoro, on the other hand, still remained in fourth place, trailing former President Joseph Estrada, who is a far third.
Estrada’s campaign manager, former senator Ernesto Maceda, slammed the survey results.
Maceda said the surveys do not even reflect the overwhelming turnout of support for Estrada in his campaign sorties.
“There is something amiss with the latest presidential surveys. I cannot reconcile Erap’s low ranking with the crowds that come out by the thousands to welcome him in every province that we visit,” he said.
Maceda agreed with the observation of many political analysts, including the camp of Aquino, attributing the latest survey results to the aggressive television campaign ads blitz, particularly by Villar.
“Villar has really been flooding TV, radio, billboards, the Internet, every avenue possible with ads, compared to all other candidates, who have not been spending billions on advertising,” Maceda said.
Estrada admitted that he could not afford to spend as much on political ads as Villar.
“It’s so expensive... my strategy (now) is going straight to the people. That (was) my strategy in 1998. I (really) want to spend in ads but I don’t have the money to spend,” he said.
Alarming
Aquino’s camp, for their part, said Villar went on an aggressive ad campaign that has apparently worked in his favor.
LP spokesman Quezon Rep. Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada admitted they were “alarmed” by Villar’s increasing momentum in the latest survey, and added they would have to work on correcting some of their mistakes, particularly on Aquino’s television ads, to directly deliver the message to the people.
“The frequency (of advertisements by Villar) is one problem. Secondly, maybe the message (of Aquino’s ads) is not as clear as we’d want it to be, that’s why the people are not reacting, if we would use as basis the survey results,” Tañada said.
“I think it’s also time to reassess the messaging of Senator Noy, maybe it is not resonating. We have to reassess that and we will have to look also if there’s a need to adjust our campaign strategy knowing that campaign will start next week,” he said.
Aquino and his running mate Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II expressed belief that they would be able to sustain their lead when the official campaign opens next week.
Aquino said their volunteers would try a house-to-house campaign to explain the issues directly, reaching out to as many voters as possible.
Roxas, for his part, said they would go full speed ahead with the campaign especially after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) dismissed all the disqualification petitions against them on the ground of premature campaigning.
The Comelec dismissed the petitions for lack of merit, owing to the Supreme Court ruling that there is no more premature campaigning.
Unholy alliance
Aquino had a different pitch on Wednesday when he claimed Villar was developing an “unholy alliance” with the Arroyo administration.
Aquino accused Villar of being a mole of the administration in pretending to be with the opposition.
Aquino’s spokesman Edwin Lacierda said yesterday the secret partnership of Villar and the administration launched a full-scale negative campaign by dragging the senator into the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTex) controversy.
“The sleaze is now oozing out of Villar’s camp. In their desperate bid to overtake the lead of Noynoy, they are seeking help from President Arroyo to destroy President Cory’s name to boost Villar’s stock,” Lacierda said.
Administration allies went on to deny the allegations that Villar is the supposed “secret candidate” of Mrs. Arroyo.
Agusan del Sur Rep. Jose Aquino, spokesman of the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD, said Teodoro is the only candidate that the administration is supporting.
“To say that the President is working for Villar’s win is an insult to her, to Lakas members and to Teodoro and the entire ticket. Gibo is the candidate of Lakas-Kampi and the party is working very hard for his victory,” said Aquino, who clarified he is no relative of Senator Aquino.
He said Aquino’s unholy alliance claim “is nothing but rumor mongering and political maneuvering.”
NP senatorial bet Marine Col. Ariel Querubin also denied allegations made by Aquino.
Querubin said he would “never ally himself with an ally of this administration.”
“Such baseless claims are fueled by the political rivals of NP standard-bearer Villar, whose survey ratings are up,” he said. -With Christina Mendez, Aurea Calica, Jose Rodel Clapano, Jess Diaz, Delon Porcalla, Sheila Crisostomo