4 Dec 2009
MANILA, Philippines - Four out of five Filipinos said they would not support a presidential candidate endorsed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, according to results of a Pulse Asia nationwide survey released Thursday.
A combined 79 percent of the respondents said they would “surely not vote for” (43 percent) and “probably not vote for” (36 percent) a presidential candidate endorsed by Ms Arroyo.The outgoing President has endorsed her party mate, Lakas-Kampi-Christian Muslim Democrats standard-bearer Gilbert Teodoro.
Only a combined 15 percent of the respondents said they would “surely vote for” (1 percent) and “probably vote for” (14 percent) the candidate Ms Arroyo endorsed.
Three percent said Ms Arroyo’s endorsement would have “no effect” on their choice. The same percentage of respondents was unable to say what impact such an endorsement would have on their choice.
Conducted by Pulse Asia from Oct. 22 to 30 using face-to-face interviews, the survey covered 1,800 adults in Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.
The opinion poll has a margin of error of plus-or-minus 2 percentage points.
Unfazed by public dissatisfaction with Ms Arroyo, Teodoro has scoffed at opposition leaders who claim that the President’s endorsement will doom his chances.
“There will come a point when the public will already get to brush off this ‘kiss of death’ thing. It’s a politically expedient tactic right now. The more important thing is what you want to do for the country in the future,” Teodoro said in September.
Staying away from Gibo sorties
On the day the survey results were released, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said Ms Arroyo would not only stay away from Teodoro’s sorties but would also give the administration’s candidate free rein to mount his own campaign.
“I don’t think she will do that (join Teodoro’s sorties),” Ermita said. “As she said, she wants to concentrate on governance.”
In what was seen as a break with tradition, Ms Arroyo did not raise the hands of Teodoro and his running mate, actor-TV host Edu Manzano, during their Nov. 19 proclamation rally at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.
Since then, some observers have noted an apparent attempt by the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD coalition not to make Teodoro and Ms Arroyo share a stage.
After Ms Arroyo filed her certificate of candidacy for Pampanga’s second congressional district on Tuesday, Teodoro, a former defense secretary, said he should be judged based on his qualifications, and not on his ties with the President.
But Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, vice presidential candidate of the Liberal Party, said Ms Arroyo’s unprecedented move to run for a seat in the House of Representatives showed that she had given up on Teodoro.
“They all know that this [Ms Arroyo’s candidacy] has a negative effect on Gibo’s [Teodoro’s] candidacy, but they pursued this. So the question is who is GMA’s [Ms Arroyo’s] real candidate?” Roxas said in a text message.
Pacquiao, Kris Aquino
In the survey, “big pluralities” to “sizeable majorities” said they would surely/probably not vote for candidates endorsed by boxing champion Manny Pacquiao (71 percent), former President Joseph Estrada (59 percent) and TV personalities Willie Revillame (58 percent) and Kris Aquino (49 percent).
A combined 45 percent said they would surely/probably vote for the candidate endorsed by Aquino, while 36 percent said they would surely/probably vote for someone endorsed by Estrada.
Thirty-seven percent said they would surely/probably vote for a candidate endorsed by Revillame, and 21 percent would surely/probably vote for Pacquiao’s presidential candidate.
Kris Aquino is backing her brother, Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, presidential candidate of the Liberal Party. Revillame is supporting Sen. Manny Villar, standard-bearer of the Nacionalista Party. Estrada himself is running for president.
Pacquiao, who is running for congressman in Sarangani, has not formally endorsed a presidential candidate.
As for the candidates endorsed by the respondents’ Church, 52 percent said they would surely/probably vote for them. In contrast, 43 percent said they would surely/probably not vote for a presidential candidate endorsed by their Church.
Independent-minded
Ermita, chair of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD advisory council, doused speculations that Teodoro was consciously trying to distance himself from Ms Arroyo.
“Gilbert Teodoro is a very intelligent person. He’s very capable, as shown by all the mock polls after every debate among presidentiables. He can stand and think on his own,” he said.
Ermita said the best instance that Teodoro showed his being independent-minded was when he recommended the expulsion of members of the Ampatuan clan from the administration party in the aftermath of the Maguindanao massacre.
“Did Gibo have to ask Malacañang when he said ‘we’re expelling the Ampatuans from the party?’ No, we did it on our own as a party. That’s how independent-minded Gibo is. He’s his own man,” he said. Reports from Eliza Victoria, Inquirer Research; TJ Burgonio and Michael Lim Ubac
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