CEBU, Philippines - The camp of Mandaue City mayoralty candidate Emmarie "Lolypop" Ouano-Dizon has belittled the result of a survey allegedly conducted by the Social Weather Station showing sixth district Representative Gabriel Luis "Luigi" Quisumbing leading by nine percent in the mayoralty race.
Lawyer Gonzalo Malig-on, Dizon's campaign adviser, said that based on an independent survey, the mayoralty bet of One Cebu Party in Mandaue City is enjoying a double-digit lead against the opponents.
Malig-on said the survey was more credible with 1,200 respondents compared to mere 400 respondents in the SWS survey commissioned by Quisumbing's supporter.
In the independent survey, Malig-on said Dizon got 56 percent while Quisumbing only got 36 percent. The survey has positive/negative three margin of error.
"No politician will admit that he lost in his own survey, so we take this PR stunt with a grain of salt. The camp of mayoral candidate Lolypop Ouano-Dizon is confident that she will win on May 9, 2016 elections and we have the numbers to support that," Malig-on said in a statement.
Dizon's camp was reacting to the result of the special survey conducted by SWS in Mandaue City on March 10-12 that was commissioned by lawyer Victor Rodriguez.
"We would like to remind Mr. Rodriguez that the camp of Mr. Luigi Quisumbing also held a press conference a week before the 2007 congressional elections, saying that he would win. It turned out that he lost badly to Rep. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz despite spending P200 million for the campaign. So for us, Mr. Rodriguez is entitled to his own entertainment," Malig-on further said.
Results of the SWS survey showed that most of the local candidates of the administration Liberal Party topped in Mandaue City.
Quisumbing was ahead by nine percent in the mayoralty race against Dizon. Quisumbing got 49 percent while Dizon had 40 percent.
The SWS survey, however, did not state in the result the margin of error.
Prior to the survey, SWS disowned Independent Research Institute as being affiliated to them when it released survey result showing that Dizon got 64 percent against Quisumbing with 23 percent.
Meanwhile, incumbent Cebu Vice Governor Agnes Magpale admitted she expects a "tough fight" in the May 9 elections following the SWS survey showing that she was behind by 12 percent to former sixth district Representative Nerissa Soon-Ruiz.
The special survey showed Magpale got 31 percent while Ruiz had 43 percent.
"That's the reality of politics," Magpale said.
Magpale, however, believes that her candidacy will be boosted by the fact that she has no pending graft cases and other related charges.
"Ang akong kasing-kasing naa sa tanang lungsod ug syudad sa probinsya. Makita ninyo unsa akong pagsilbi. Wa koy sala sa Mandaue (City) ug uban lugar sa probinsya. That's my strength," she said.
Governor Hilario Davide III said the result of the survey should not be treated with finality even if he topped in the gubernatorial race.
"May 9 is the real survey," he said, adding that SWS survey and other political surveys are just a "guide" for candidates.
Davide said he is confident that Mandauehanons will support them.
"We are confident that we will get (Mandaue constituents)' support... because wa mi ni Vice Gov nagkuwang sa mga Sugbuanon ug provincial government sa pagpangalagad diha sa Mandaue," he said.
He was, however, sued earlier by a lawyer from Mandaue City for his alleged criminal neglect in ensuring that the controversial Cebu International Convention Center is protected and repaired from the damage it sustained during the earthquake and the typhoon Yolanda in 2013.
Davide, Liberal Party's standard bearer in Cebu, got 34 percent while his rival former Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) president and general manager Winston Garcia (One Cebu) only got 23 percent. (FREEMAN)