MANILA – An endorsement of a presidential candidate in the May 2010 elections by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo means a “kiss of death,â€or his defeat, based on the findings of a recent survey conducted by a polling group.
In the survey, Pulse Asia reported that 71 percent, or four out of five Filipinos, said they would not support the Arroyo presidential candidate, meaning former defense secretary Gilberto Teodoro, the standard bearer of the ruling Lakas-Kampi Christian Muslim Democrats.
Pulse Asia also reported the same kiss of death awaits candidates endorsed by Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao (71 percent), former president Joseph Estrada (59 percent) as well as TV personalities Willie Revillame (58 percent) and Kris Aquino (49 percent).
But the same survey showed that 52 percent of the respondents answered they would surely/probably vote for the presidential candidate endorsed by their church. In contrast, 43 percent said they would surely/probably not vote for such candidate endorsed by their church.
The survey consisted of face to face interviews of 1,800 adult respondents nationwide and was conducted October 22 to 30 in Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon (outside Metro Manila), the Visayas and Mindanao, it said.
Pulse Asia said the opinion poll has a margin of error of plus or minus two percent.
Even before Pulse Asia released findings of its latest survey, Teodoro was faring poorly in opinion polls, garnering only an average of four percent from the respondents in contrast to his rivals in the presidential race.
But after his proclamation as the standard bearer of Lakas-Kampi, observers noted that President Arroyo did not do join in the hand-raising of the Teodoro, the traditional practice in past party conventions.
Instead, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, the head of the party, pointed out the President wanted Teodoro to take the political spotlight.
According to Ermita, the President has also made known she would not join Teodoro and the rest of the Lakas-Kampi national candidates in the campaign sorties nationwide.
But while shying away from the sorties of the administration candidates, Pulse Asia said in its latest findings the Arroyo endorsement virtually means a “kiss of death†for the candidates.
On the other hand, Pacquiao, who is running for a congressional seat in the province of Sarangani in Mindanao, has not endorsed any presidential candidate.
But his aides disclosed that at least one presidential aspirant, Senator Manuel Villar of the Nacionalista (Nationalist) Party, has wooed his support for the campaign.
The aides cited as an example the “secret†visit of Villar to Pacquiao’s training camp in Baguio City in the Northern Luzon highlands in late September while preparing for his bout with world welterweight champion Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico.
In the same survey, the kiss of death may apply to candidates endorsed by Estrada who wants to recapture Malacanang in the May 2010 elections.
The survey added an endorsement from Willie Revillame, the host of a popular daily noontime entertainment programme, could also spell political disaster for the presidential candidate he would endorse.
Revillame has not openly endorsed any candidate but he has become a familiar figure in the campaign sorties of Senator Villar, the Nacionalista Party presidential bet.
Meanwhile, another TV personality and actress, Kris Aquino, is supporting the candidacy of her brother Senator Benigno “Noynoy†Aquino 3rd, the presidential candidate of the Liberal Party and the only son of the late global democracy icon president Corazon Aquino.
Forty nine percent said they would surely/probably not vote for the candidate supported by Kris, but the Aquino camp remains confident this would not affect the big lead he has been holding over his rivals in past and recent surveys, which has been averaging between 45 and 50 percent.
Loading ...
Reader’s Views