Bongbong, Sara top first Pulse Asia pre-election survey after COC filing

Former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his running mate, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, topped Pulse Asia's latest survey on presidential and vice presidential aspirants for the 2022 elections.

The survey, conducted from December 1 to 6 and the first pre-election poll done after the filing of candidacy, showed Marcos scoring 53%, ahead of Vice President Leni Robredo, who scored 20%.

Marcos' lead is anchored on his 64% rating in Mindanao, the bailiwick of Sara Duterte, daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte. Marcos is the son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

Marcos' spokesman, Vic Rodriguez, was thankful for the recent survey, saying that it serves as an additional motivation and inspiration for their camp to do more.

"Nagpapasalamat ang tambalang Bongbong Marcos at Sara Duterte sa patuloy na pagtaas ng kanilang numero, maraming-maraming salamat ho sa lahat ng aming mga tagasuporta, nagmamahal at nagtitiwala," Rodriguez said at a press conference on Wednesday. 

(Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte are appreciative of their surging poll numbers. We are grateful to all of our supporters, especially those who love and trust the tandem.)

"Subalit klaro po kay Bongbong Marcos at Mayor Inday Sara Duterte, wala pa ho tayong pinapanalo, ang eleksyon ho ay May 9, 2022 pa so ang amin hong pakiusap sa milyon-milyong tumatangkilik sa BBM-Sara UniTeam, tuloy lang po 'yung ating mabubuting gawain, tuloy lang po 'yung ating mabubuting trabaho," Rodriguez said.

(It was, however, clear to Bongbong Marcos and Mayor Inday Sara Duterte that we are not yet winning since the election is still on May 9, 2022. We appeal to the millions of supporters of the BBM-Sara UniTeam to continue doing what's good for the tandem.)

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno (real name: Francisco Domagoso) and Senator Manny Pacquiao tied for third place with an 8% rating.

Senator Panfilo Lacson received 6%, while retired military officer Antonio Parlade Jr., labor leader Leody de Guzman, and former National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales all scored less than 1%.

Five percent of those polled said they were undecided.

VP aspirants

Meanwhile, Sara Duterte dominated the survey for vice presidential aspirants with 45%. This is the first pre-election survey that listed her as a vice presidential aspirant. She had been a frontrunner in previous surveys on possible presidential candidates.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Lacson's running mate, ranked second with 31%, followed by Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, Robredo's running mate, with 12%.

Moreno's running mate, Dr. Willie Ong, scored 6% while Pacquiao's vice presidential bet, House Deputy Speaker Lito Atienza, had 1%.

Walden Bello, de Guzman's running mate, scored less than 1%.

Pulse Asia said the nationwide survey was based on a sample of 2,400 representative adults 18 years old and above, and has a ± 2% error margin at the 95% confidence level.

"Subnational estimates for each of the geographic areas covered in the survey (i.e., Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao) have a ± 4% error margin, also at 95% confidence level," it added.  — with a report from Anna Felicia Bajo/KBK/VBL, GMA News