Chiz Among Preferred Senators in Octa Survey
Sorsogon Gov. Chiz Escudero is once again among the top preferred senatorial candidates in the latest opinion polls released by research group OCTA three weeks before the May 9 national elections.
If elections were held during the survey period from April 2 to 6, 50 percent of the respondents said they would vote for Escudero, a veteran lawmaker who served the Senate for two consecutive terms, according to OCTA Research’s latest nationwide polls called “Tugon ng Masa.”
Escudero, the only incumbent governor who is gunning for a Senate seat, is ranked from 2-6 in the OCTA Research Senatorial Preference survey that was publicly released on April 17. The survey polled 1,200 samples and has a margin of error of +/-3%.
The veteran legislator has been a consistent favorite among respondents as indicated by surveys conducted by various independent pollsters and research firms.
Last week, Escudero has remained the No. 1 choice for senator in the Publicus Asia survey conducted from March 30 to April 6, with 49.4 percent of the respondents giving him their vote of approval.
The former senator also remains among the top favorites of students to win the senatorial race, according to campus mock polls conducted by at least 36 colleges and universities across the country.
Results of the campus mock elections have solidified Escudero’s footing as one of the preferred candidates among more than 60 aspirants vying for the 12 seats in the Senate.
In at least three universities—La Salle University-Ozamiz, Sorsogon State University, and Philippine National University-Mindanao campus—Escudero was the No. 1 choice for senator among their students.
Escudero was also the No. 1 choice for senator among respondents in the survey conducted by the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP), which is composed of more than 1,525 member-schools.
A former senator for 12 years, Escudero said he would focus on giving more autonomy to local government units, ensure the judicious and wise utilization of the annual budget, and help transition the pandemic-weary economy to recovery, among others, if elected again.
President Duterte has endorsed Escudero’s senatorial bid, saying the governor will play a big role in crafting key pieces of legislation and reforms at a time when the country is besieged with challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Duterte’s daughter, Davao City Mayor and vice-presidential candidate Sara Duterte-Carpio is personally backing Escudero’s Senate comeback bid.
The tandems of Senator Ping Lacson and Senate President Tito Sotto; Vice President Leni Robredo and Senator Kiko Pangilinan; and Senator Manny Pacquiao and Rep. Lito Atienza have adopted Escudero in their senatorial slates.
The League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) has also included Escudero in the list of six senatorial bets it is endorsing for the May 9 polls.
The former senator is also endorsed by several party-list groups, including Ang Probinsyano, Ang Kabuhayan, Agimat, An Waray, ARISE, BHW, BTS, Kusog Bikolano, KAPUSO-PM and Uswag Ilonggo.
Mayors from CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) and Eastern Samar, who belong to the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP), are likewise backing Escudero’s Senate return.
The 200,000-strong Federation of Free Farmers (FFF), one of the biggest non-government organizations in the country, has committed to campaign for Escudero. #
