Duterte overtakes Poe

The tough-talking Mayor Rody Duterte topped the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) nationwide survey on the 2016 presidential race, getting 38 percent of the vote, which was conducted November 26-28 among 1,200 respondents. The poll survey was commissioned by Davao City businessman William Lima, believed to be a friend of Duterte.

Duterte displaced frontrunner Senator Grace Poe, who  dropped 10 points to 21 percent; tied for second with Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Duterte ranked fourth in the previous survey conducted in September. It was a big jump for Duterte immediately after his presidential announcement. According to the poll, he was the top choice across regions and socio-economic classes.

Binay was steady at 21 percent while administration standard-bearer Mar Roxas was a poor fourth with 15 percent.

It is significant that Poe lost the support of ‘ABC’ voters where she got only 13 percent. Clearly, ABC voters shifted to Duterte who got a high 62 percent of their vote. The Grace Poe craze is over. Poe got only 20 percent, behind Duterte and Binay, among Class ‘E’ voters.

The only question about the latest SWS survey is the way the question to voters was worded. It read: “With Duterte on this list as a substitute candidate for president, who will you likely vote to become the President of the Philippines if the elections were held today?”

But it appears that the survey dates did not capture the repercussion he may have suffered after his cussword on Pope Francis last Nov. 30, during his formal declaration as Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan’s official presidential candidate. Many were offended by his annoyed remarks. Will his careless comments hurt his presidential bid in the long-run?

Amid criticism the presidential aspirant has been receiving for his cusswords in his speeches, especially for his remarks on the Pope’s visit, Sarangani representative Manny Pacquiao defended the Davao mayor saying he has a good heart.

However, there is no determination yet if Duterte will already be included in the list of presidential candidates for the 2016 elections because the Commission on Elections (Comelec) may reject the substitution due to an apparent error in Martin Diño’s certificate of candidacy (COC) and his questionable motive in filing the document, according to election lawyer Atty. Romulo Macalintal.

According to broadcaster Ruben Castor’s lawyer, Atty. Oliver Lozano, Duterte cannot substitute for Diño because Diño’s COC indicated that he is running for mayor of Pasay City. Substitution is allowed only for the same position.

To make sure his COC for president will not have problems, Duterte, with his running mate Alan Peter Cayetano, will appear at the Comelec’s office in Intramuros, Manila today. His moves will dismiss doubts about his filing and to thwart efforts to disqualify him.

Premature campaigner

In a speech before the Filipino community in Rome, Italy, President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III took potshots at the four presidential opponents of Mar Roxas.

The formal campaign period starts on Feb. 9, 2016. President Aquino is guilty of premature campaigning.

Most reports characterized the presidential remarks as unpresidential.

Based on the latest SWS survey where Roxas recorded only 15 percent, or 23 percent below frontrunner Duterte, Roxas has very slim chance of winning.

Comelec warns of “No-el”

Comelec chairman Andres Bautista warned on Sunday over DZBB of a possible postponement of the May 2016 elections, if the Supreme Court (SC) fails to lift the temporary restraining order (TRO) on the Comelec’s “No bio, No boto” campaign.

The SC issued the TRO in acting on the petition of several groups led by Kabataan Party-List Rep. Terry Ridon, who asked the SC to stop the implementation of the Comelec policy which they claimed would disenfranchise three million voters.

The Comelec did not enforce the biometric requirement in the 2013 elections. It can also decide not to enforce it for 2016, the law on mandatory biometrics voter registration under Republic Act 10367.

Rotten rice

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Corazon Soliman has been criticized by Vice President Jejomar Binay and Anakpawis Party-List Rep. Fernando Hicap, for the department’s failure to distribute hundreds of sacks of rice intended for Typhoon Yolanda victims in Leyte.

Two hundred eighty-four sacks of rice were found rotting and buried in Dagami, Leyte.

Also in January, 900 sacks of rice were left to rot and buried inside the regional office of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) in Tacloban.

Last year, COA questioned the spoilage of an estimated P2.8 million worth of relief goods intended for distribution to Yolanda victims.

Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez said the incident smacks of inefficiency on the part of DSWD. He noted that the rice, buried in a 2.4-meter deep pit in Leyte’s Dagami town, bore the markings of the National Food Authority (NFA).

The Aquino administration is wasting resources to the detriment of typhoon victims, Romualdez lamented. He also questioned the lack of accounting of the billions of local and foreign donations received.

I-BAP Party-List Rep. Silvestro Bello supported Romualdez’ criticisms. Senator Marcos had criticized the slow pace of government’s rehabilitation efforts in areas hardest hit by Yolanda despite billions of pesos provided in the national budget and by various international donors.

Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called on Soliman to assume responsibility for the mess.

Soliman had admitted that DSWD relief goods were indeed buried in Dagami but blamed her personnel for the mess.