BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Vice President Leni Robredo is the presidential frontrunner in Negros Occidental, based on a province-wide survey done by a Bacolod-based group composed of academe who have been conducting social research for several years now, for the period from April 1 to 15, revealed former Gov. Rafael Coscolluela yesterday.
Coscolluela, chair of the Robredo People’s Council in Negros Occidental, said VP Leni Robredo is comfortably ahead with 41 percent against 30 percent of rival Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“The survey, the third in a monthly series, reflects the results of hard on-ground campaigning by scores of volunteers throughout the province,” he added.
Senator Manny Pacquiao ranked third with 12 percent, seven percent are for Isko Moreno and almost five percent for presidential candidate Senator Panfilo Lacson.
Coscolluela said he also noted a high percentage of undecided voters at 15 to 20 percent in the province. Maybe they are confused by fake news, trolls and black propaganda, as they have yet to pick their presidential candidate, he added.
If that 15 to 20 percent undecided voters will choose VP Leni as their presidential candidate, it will be 61 percent for Robredo, which was the same percentage we got in 2016 vice presidential race in Negros Occidental, he added.
Robredo prevailed over Marcos in the vice-presidential race in Negros Occidental during the 2016 elections.
The survey on voters’ preference in highly-urbanized Bacolod City also showed that Robredo got 46 percent compared to 30 percent for Marcos, according to Coscolluela.
“We continue, however, to bring our campaign directly to the voters,” Coscolluela stressed, “in order to counter the many years of fake news, disinformation and black propaganda waged by a vicious army of trolls and propagandists.”
Coscolluela explained that they ask voters to measure candidates on the basis of character, competence and credentials, and the response has been consistent.
By any measure, a clear majority believes the best candidates are Leni Robredo and Kiko Pangilinan, Coscolluela added.*
