By Jelly F. Musico
MANILA, Dec. 7 (PNA) – A presidential survey ran by Social Weather Station (SWS) and commissioned by a businessman from Davao drew mixed reaction from the Senate with Senator Antonio Trillanes IV calling Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s wide margin lead “unbelievable.”
The SWS survey conducted from Nov. 23-26 showed Duterte enjoying double-digit lead after garnering 38 percent of the 1,200 respondents.
”I’m not saying that we (do) not believe later on but there are results which are believable and there are results for propaganda only and it is one of them. This result is definitely unbelievable,” Trillanes said in a media interview.
For his part, Senator Serge Osmena III believed that the survey, though it was commissioned by a follower of Duterte, “seems to be a realistic survey.”
”It was not something unexpected as far as I am concerned,” Osmena said.
Both senators, however, agreed that Duterte’s rating might change since the survey was held a week before the Davao mayor cursed Pope Francis in his proclamation speech.
”Yes I’m sure it will affect him and that’s why he apologized. How permanent the damage will be on the image and reputation of mayor Duterte, we will not know until the next survey. There might be temporary drop in the rating,” Osmena said.
Osmena believed that Duterte had huge public support because of what he had done in Davao City.
Trillanes said the entry of Duterte brought negative impact on Poe’s standing as top favorite in the 2016 presidential race.
”But was it enough for mayor Duterte to take as No. 1? I don’t (think) so,” Trillanes said.
Trillanes believed that Duterte is true to his warning that he will kill the criminals the way he did through vigilante-approach in Davao City.
”I believe on what he said that if he wins, he will kill many (criminals). If you want that’s style, it’s up to you. If we want that kind of leadership like in Somalia, in Sudan that they kill people, it’s up to the people,” Trillanes, a former Navy officer, said.
Duterte dislodged Poe as top favorite with 38 percent of the surveyed respondents while Poe is now tied with Vice President Jejomar Binay with 21 percent each and administration standard-bearer Secretary Mar Roxas is in third with 15 percent.
Poe, in a separate media interview, said she respects the latest SWS survey, vowing to focus on bring to the people what she can do if elected president. (PNA)