Vice President Jejomar Binay said that the presidential race in the May election would be a battle between him and Mar Roxas because they are the candidates with large political machinery.
Binay spelled out this scenario even as Rodrigo Duterte landed on top of two recent nationwide surveys.
Duterte’s rivals are unfazed hoping their party machineries would push their numbers up in coming surveys.
Binay’s camp remained optimistic he would win the presidency following results of the surveys showing him trailing Duterte and Senator Grace Poe.
“The Vice President will continue to persevere to touch the hearts and minds of the people that his anti-poverty programs will effectively uplift their lives,” Binay campaign spokesperson Rico Quicho said.
Quicho said Binay’s core and volunteer groups were all fired up to work for the victory of the Vice President.
Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Roxas and Binay of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) said their local political machineries were expected to snag for them high ratings in the next surveys for presidential preference in the May election.
Erstwhile front-runner independent candidate Poe, dislodged for the first time from the top slot by Duterte. vowed to work harder to regain her lead in previous surveys.
Roxas, fourth in the latest surveys, said the Liberal Party local campaign had just started to explain his low rating.
All barangay chairmen and councilors, congressmen and mayors support Daang Matuwid (Straight Path) governance, said Roxas.
Daang Matuwid is the flagship program of the administration of outgoing President Benigno Aquino. Critics jokingly tag Daang Matuwid as Tuwad na Daan (Crooked Path) and the symbol of incompetence of the Aquino administration. Critics also say that Roxas’ vow to continue the program if elected President is driving away public confidence.
Binay, at third spot in the latest surveys, said that at the homestretch of the race, the contest would be between him and Roxas because of their large political machinery.
“I remain confident that in the end we will prevail,” said Binay, adding that it is only the UNA and LP that political machineries on the ground.
Duterte’s Partido Demokratiko Pilipino/Laban (PDP/Laban) is considered a minority party, but strong public support is pushing up the Davao City mayor’s bid.
Duterte’s camp welcomed the results of the surveys.
“We are humbled by the results of the recent surveys that placed Mayor Rody Duterte in the lead in voter preference,” Leoncio Evasco Jr., national campaign manager of Duterte.
“We welcome this with guarded optimism, as we are fully aware that the battle is not yet over,” said Evasco, who is also the incumbent mayor of Maribojoc town in Bohol.
Evasco said the mayor’s camp would continue to build on the momentum and aim for “a complete, decisive and indisputable victory.”
War drums are being banged as supporters of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte denounce results of poll surveys consistently showing the Mindanaoan presidential candidate behind the other contenders.
The frustration is loudest in Mindanao bordering on warnings of rebellion.
Taking to social media to warn of island-wide revolution against the saboteurs and the Manila government, Duterte supporters flooding Facebook with comments said the pre-poll surveys were manipulatedto favor other candidates in the May 2016 elections.
In a show of force, Mindanao political leaders earlier warned a split with the central government is inevitable if Duterte is cheated and does not win the May 2016 elections.
But will a Mindanao revolution have enough punch to shock Manila?
The firepower could just be sitting in the corner awaiting marching orders. Mindanaoans – Christians, Muslims and lumads – would love to see their umbilical cord cut from Manila.
The administration of President Benigno Aquino will be leaving in June with a legacy bereft of concern for peace in Mindanao.
The proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), seen as a solution to the Moro problem, has been thrown to the backburner.
Malacanang has closed the door to talks with the leftist National Democratic Front Philippines (NDFP), whose armed wing New People’s Army (NPA) has a heavy presence in many areas of Mindanao.
The Moro problem and the communist insurgency in Mindanao are monkeys riding on the back of the Philippine government for decades.
No President has solved the chaos and violence that have killed thousands of lives, displaced millions and hindered the growth of the southern island.
Duterte has emerged to be the knight in shining armor who could help realize the Mindanaoans’ hope for peace and progress considered inconsequential concerns, through their incompetence and simple lack of heart for the people of Mindanao, by those in power in Malacanang and Congress.
Duterte, a leading figure in the search for peace in troubled Mindanao, has the support of the Moro rebel groups Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the communist rebels. Christian settlers and lumads have also rallied behind the Duterte presidency.
Duterte has also gained wide adherents to his advocacy for a shift from the present presidential to a federal-type of government.
Federalism would provide regional governments with greater powers including bigger share from taxes and revenue from natural resources.
Mindanao and other provinces, for years at the bottom of the priority list of the centrist Manila government, have shown support to Duterte’s advocacy for federalism that he said he would pursue if elected President.
Federalism, as espoused by Duterte, could be the answer to the Moro and the communist insurgency problems in Mindanao.
Mindanaoans are edgy over suspicion the Duterte presidency would be sabotaged because their future is at stake in the coming election.
Today Mindanaoans love federalism as they hate the dreadful prospect of not seeing Duterte not winning the presidency.
In a political forum recently, Duterte urging support for his presidential bid said he is the ‘last card’ of the Filipinos to save the country from perdition.
Amid widespread suspicion that Duterte’s impending presidency is being derailed by saboteurs including operators of pre-poll surveys, will revolution be the Mindanaoans’ last card to save Mindanao?
Senator Grace Poe grabbed the lead with 27% in the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey for presidential preference.
Up by 3% against results of previous survey, independent candidate Poe overtook Vice President Jejomar BInay of the opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), who got 24%, 5% lower than his number in the February survey.
The results of the survey, released early Monday, March 14 was conducted March 4 to 7 among 1,800 voters.
Also a gainer in the latest survey is Liberal Party standard-bearer Mar “Mar” Roxas who landed at third with 22% – a 4-percentage point increase against his score in the February poll.
Like Binay, PDP/Laban’s Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte saw his rating down, landing 4th with 21%, less 3 percent against previous survey result.
Before the latest results, Binay had led the pack with 31% in January and 29% in February.
Poe had 24% both in January and February.
The latest SWS survey results comes after a February survey by Pulse Asia commissioned by The Standard which had Poe, Binay and Duterte in a “statistical tie.”
In the vice presidential race, Roxas’ running mate Camarines Sur Third District Representative Leni Robredo was the biggest gainer in the new SWS poll with 24%, a 5-point gain against her February score, that pruned down her gap with Senators Francis Escudero (28%, up by 2 points vs. February result) and Senator Bongbong Marcos (26%, the same figure in the previous survey).
Taking to social media to warn of island-wide revolution against the saboteurs and the Manila government, Duterte supporters flooding Facebook with comments said the 
The administration of President Benigno Aquino will be leaving in June with a legacy bereft of concern for peace in Mindanao.
TOPNEWSNOW 