Sorsogon Governor Chiz Escudero, the only incumbent provincial chief executive running for senator, has topped the latest non-commissioned “Pulso ng Pilipino” survey conducted by The Issues and Advocacy Center, ranking him 1st to 2nd place among more than 60 candidates vying for 12 seats in the Senate.
Results of the pre-election survey, which was conducted from April 4-15 nationwide, showed that 58% of the 2,440 respondents polled from all socio-economic classes aged 18-65 years old, said they would vote for Escudero.
Per region, the veteran lawmaker was the number one pick for senator in the National Capital Region at 67%, as well as in the entire Luzon at 63%. He was also a top favorite in the Visayas (60%) and Mindanao (40%), based on survey results.
The Center said the opinion poll has a margin of error of +/- 3%.
The former senator has consistently topped various independent surveys by polling firms in the past. In the latest Pahayag senatorial survey of Publicus Asia, which was released April 25, Escudero was also the No. 1 choice with 46.8 percent of the 1,500 respondents saying they would vote for the veteran legislator if polls were held during the survey period.
If elected to the Senate anew, Escudero said he would focus on giving more autonomy 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.
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 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 as indicated by surveys and mock elections conducted in 38 colleges and universities around the country.