Sorsogon Governor Chiz Escudero counts among the preferred senatorial candidates of Thomasians in next month’s national polls, according to a survey conducted by Varsitarian, the official publication of the Univeristy of Sto. Tomas.
Based on the university-wide survey conducted from February 20 to March 20, 2022, Escudero was chosen by 65.1% of 4,401 of respondents comprised of students from various faculties, colleges and institutes of UST, the oldest existing university in the Philippines and Asia.
According to its website, the Varsitarian conducted the survey via Google Forms and used a randomized cluster sampling method wherein students were randomly selected based on the determined sample size for each college, faculty, or institute. It has a ±1.7 percent margin of error at a 98.3 percent confidence level.
The publication said 68 percent of the respondents will be first-time voters in the upcoming polls. First-year students who completed the survey comprised 22.3 percent of the total respondents; sophomores, 23.2 percent; juniors, 24.5 percent; seniors, 21.5 percent; fifth-year students, 1.1 percent; and postgraduates, 7.4 percent. There were 18 faculties, colleges and institutes that participated in the survey.
Escudero, who is seeking a fresh six-year mandate in next month’s polls, has been a consistent favorite among students as indicated by surveys and mock elections conducted by various colleges and universities around the country.
Escudero was 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.
The former senator was likewise the top pick senatorial bet in a recent mock election among students from Sorsogon State University (SSU), reaffirming his strong leadership and solid track record and accomplishments as chief executive of the province.
In February, the governor emerged as the number one choice for senator among respondents in the survey conducted by the Philippine Normal University- Mindanao Campus, garnering 59.46 percent of the total respondents.
In “Likha Pahinarya: Mock Elections Survey 2022,” which was conducted from March 12 to 25 and organized by the Likha Pahinarya, the official student publication of Cagayan State University’s College of Allied Health Sciences in Tuguegarao City, Escudero was among the top picks for senator after almost 60% of the respondents in an online survey said they would vote for him.
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.
Surveys conducted by independent pollsters and research firms ranked Escudero in the top position. Escudero has remained the No. 1 choice for senator in the Publicus Asia survey conducted from March 9-14, with almost 50 percent of the respondents giving him their vote of approval.
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 former senator is also endorsed by several party-list groups, including Ang Probinsyano, Ang Kabuhayan, Agimat, An Waray, ARISE, BHW, BTS, Kusog Bikolano, and KAPUSO-PM.
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.