The senatorial bid of Sorsogon Governor Chiz Escudero was endorsed by a community of Mindanao-based non-government organizations (NGOs) Balay Mindanaw Group based on its internal mock election.
In a Facebook post by Balay Mindanaw Group, Escudero, the only incumbent governor running for senator, made it to the group’s Top 12 list of senatorial candidates it would endorse in the May 9 national election. There are more than 60 candidates vying for the 12 seats in the Senate.
Balay Mindanaw Group explained that it traditionally conducts a process of dialogue based on its organizational vision, mission and goals while members also do their own reflection and discernment.
“An internal ‘mock’ elections will then be conducted to identify who among the candidates it will endorse and support. For this elections, 94 percent of staff, management and volunteers participated by filling up an anonymous online form,” the group said.
Balay Mindanaw Group, which is based in Cagayan De Oro, describes itself as “a community of non-government organizations born out of a shared vision of Equity, Development and Peace in Mindanao.”
Escudero, if elected senator, has vowed to focus on giving more autonomy and power to local government units, ensure the judicious and prudent utilization of the annual budget, and help transition the pandemic-weary economy to recovery, among others.
The Sorsogon governor remains one of the leading candidates according to various pre-election surveys, including the opinion poll conducted by Publicus Asia where he ranked No. 1, after 46.8 percent of the 1,500 respondents said that they would vote for the veteran legislator if the election was held during the survey period.
President Duterte has endorsed the veteran legislator’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 voting, while 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 supporting his Senate return.
The former senator is also endorsed by several party-list groups, including Ang Probinsyano, Ang Kabuhayan, Agimat, An Waray, ARISE, BHW, Kusog Bikolano, KAPUSO-PM, Makabayan and Uswag Ilonggo, as well as the youth-oriented group Nationalist Social-Democratic Society.
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.
Escudero has been a consistent favorite among student respondents based on separate surveys and mock elections conducted in 38 colleges and universities around the country.