Unfazed by poll numbers, Pacquiao says surveys don't represent the poor

MANILA - PROMDI presidential candidate Sen. Manny Pacquiao said he he will use the remaining days of the campaign period to go around the country and rally for support from poor Filipinos.

He believes the poor would determine the result of this year’s presidential election.

Pacquiao, together with his senatorial bet Lutz Barbo, visited the province of Pangasinan as one of the guests of the State of Municipality Address (SOMA) of Binmaley Mayor Sammy Rosario, and the inauguration of the town’s evacuation center. Pacquiao also went around Lingayen before doing a motorcade in the vote-rich San Carlos.

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His team is also scheduled to do sorties in Dagupan City, Malasiqui, and Urdaneta. Before that, Pacquiao went around the City of San Jose Del Monte and Caloocan.

“As much as possible umiikot tayo sa abot ng ating makakaya,” Pacquiao said, unfazed by the results of recent surveys.

Pacquiao says surveys do not represent the sentiment of the country’s poor.

“Kung yung taong naghihirap nangangailangan ng tulong eh hindi sumasabay doon sa survey, 'yung mga nahihirapan sa buhay, yung mga nagugutom ay di sumasabay sa survey. Kasi ang hinahanap nila yung gustong talagang tumulong sa kanila. Yung tunay na nagmamahal at naniniwala sila na totoong pagbabago,” he pointed out.

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Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. recently topped Pulse Asia's latest survey on preferred presidential candidates in the May 9 elections, followed by Vice President Leni Robredo.

Pacquiao and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso each had 8 percent of respondents' support, while Sen. Panfilo Lacson had 4 percent.

Labor leader Ka Leody de Guzman got 0.02 percent, while Ernie Abella got 0.05 percent, and Faisal Mangondato got 0.3 percent.

According to the survey conducted last Jan. 19 to 24, Marcos is the first choice among presidential candidates, with 60 percent of respondents saying they would vote for the son and namesake of the late dictator "if the May 2022 elections were held today."

The University of the Philippines (UP) School of Statistics also recently urged the public to be critical of survey results published online as it warned of opinion polls with unclear methodologies, particularly "kalye surveys."

Faculty members of the UP School of Statistics said they observed "some entities" conducting their own research with ambiguous data-gathering methods and promoting these studies on social media.

PACQUIAO SEEKS RELAXED CAMPAIGN RULES

Meanwhile, Pacquiao said that he has high hopes that he can now campaign better after the IATF has downgraded the alert level in most parts of the country.

He said that the IATF decision should prompt the COMELEC to relax restrictions not only on political campaigns but also on the day-to-day activities of ordinary Filipinos as long as they continue to observe minimum health and safety protocols.

“Dapat maluwagan man lamang dahil level 1 na tayo ngayon so I hope marinig tayo ng COMELEC na mag adjust sila para hindi naman mahirapan yung nangangampanya," he said.

"Kaya nga tinawag itong kampanya dahil kailangan makipag-kamay, makipag fist bump ang isang kandidato. Luwag- luwagan naman nila. Pati yung pagbibigay ng mga t-shirt eh pinagbabawal. Dapat ah mabago nila," he added.

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