'Demolition job?': Isko Moreno casts doubt on Pulse Asia survey after rating dips | ABS-CBN

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'Demolition job?': Isko Moreno casts doubt on Pulse Asia survey after rating dips

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

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Aksyon Demokratiko presidential candidate and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso delivers a speech in Manila as Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan on May 2, 2022. Photo from Isko Moreno Domagoso
Aksyon Demokratiko presidential candidate and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso delivers a speech in Manila as Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan on May 2, 2022. Photo from Isko Moreno Domagoso's Facebook Page

MANILA — Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer Isko Moreno Domagoso on Tuesday said he did not believe Pulse Asia's latest pre-election survey where he dropped to 4th place.

Support for Domagoso was halved to 4 percent in the April 16 to 21 survey that Pulse Asia released exactly a week before the elections next Monday. The Manila mayor trailed survey frontrunner Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. who scored 56 percent, Vice President Leni Robredo with 23 percent, and Sen. Manny Pacquiao with 7 percent.

"I don't believe that," Domagoso said of the poll results.

"Pagbigyan na natin si Pulse. Hindi naman natin alam kung demolition job yan," he told reporters on the sidelines of a construction project in Manila.

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Laughing, the mayor added, "Four percent? Talaga? Good luck to me."

(Let's give it to Pulse. We don't even know if that's a demolition job... Four percent? Really? Good luck to me.)

Pulse Asia has correctly predicted the results of the country's national elections since it began polling in 1999.

The research firm's president Ronald Holmes earlier said that while surveys were not infallible, it was "a little bit irrational" for candidates to dismiss poll results just because these did not favor them.

"I would caution in terms of going to the extent of shooting the messengers because they would have to realize that message is very important and it’s something that should assist them in calibrating their strategies," he told ANC's Headstart last month.

House-to-house campaigns and sorties in the homestretch to the May 9 polls can still affect voter preference, Holmes said on Monday.

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'I'M NOT TOXIC'

Several analysts have blamed Domagoso's survey drop on the Easter Sunday press conference where he unexpectedly called for Robredo's withdrawal from the presidential race.

But the Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer said he did not regret his actions in the said event.

"I never regret saying anything. Basta ako kapag sinabi ko na... napanghawakan na ng tao. Kapag ako nagbukas na ng bibig, pinaniniwalaan ko 'yun," he said.

(I never regret saying anything. When I say it, people can count on it. When I open my mouth, I believe the things I say.)

"I may not be right all the time, I may not be an angel, but definitely, i'm not the devil," he said.

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Aside from urging the Vice President to drop her Malacañang bid, Domagoso also dubbed her as the "godmother of all bullies" and labeled some of her supporters as "liars" and "matapobre" or snobbish.

He rejected speculation that his tirades against Robredo in the second half of April might have pushed voters to perceive him as "toxic."

"I am not a toxic person," he said. "I confront problems, I confront people, especially when they are lying."

'MIND CONDITIONING'

When asked why he thought his numbers plunged across all geographical areas and social classes, Domagoso said certain camps might be trying to convince voters that the 2022 presidential elections was a 2-way race between Marcos and Robredo.

"It is an impression based campaign," he said, added that crowd estimates in Marcos' and Robredo's rallies were part of their respective campaign strategies.

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"'Yung mind conditioning... Ang gusto kasing i-project ng magagaling na tao sa komunikasyon ay ito ay laban ng 2 tao lang: ng pula at dilaw," he said, referring to the colors associated with 2 camps in the EDSA Revolution of 1986.

(Communicators who think highly of themselves want to project that this is only a fight between 2 camps: the Red and the Yellow.)

"They are entitled to their own opinion. I don't know how far is that from the truth, but there must be something wrong," he said.

Despite his latest survey scores, Domagoso said there was no backing out of the race with only 6 days to go before voters chose the country's next leaders.

"Sa May 9 pa naman ang halalan... Patuloy pa rin akong naniniwala na tahimik lang ang tao, the vast silent majority, dahil sa takot na mawalan ng trabaho dahil aawayin ng amo, mapagsalitaan ng masakit ng mga mapang-aping tao o matapobre," he said.

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(Election day is on May 9... I will continue to believe that there are people who are just quiet, the vast silent majority, because they are afraid to be reprimanded by their employers, hear hurtful words from condescending people.)

"I will continue to believe in that until the election day."

If Marcos Jr. is elected president after topping surveys since late last year, Domagoso said he would have no choice but to respect the voters' decision.

"Kikilalanin natin 'yun at dapat nating igalang dahil karapatan ng bawat Pilipino na pumili ng kanilang pinuno at pamunuan ang ating bansa sa loob ng krisis, sa loob ng maraming hamon ng buhay."

(We will acknowledge that, we have to respect that because it is every Filipino's right to choose their leader, who will head our country in times of crisis and through life's challenges.)

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Domagoso's camp earlier pressed Marcos to settle his family P203-billion estate taxes.

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