By Addison Pascua

PHOTO: VP Leni Media Bureau via Rappler

Vice president Leni Robredo remained unbothered with the latest Pulse Asia survey which placed her still at far second, saying that her recent survey ranking is reminiscent of her experience during the vice presidential polls in 2016.

In an interview with reporters during her event at the Kidapawan City Hall on Tuesday, March 15, Robredo said they are still taking the pre-election surveys seriously although they are not worried about it.

"Kami sineseryoso namin yung surveys. Sineseryoso namin, pero kung ang tanong nababahala ba kami, hindi. Coming from 2016, halos ganito yung trajectory na coming from 1-2%, pero pumalo talaga numbers ko late March and April already," she emphasized.

The presidential aspirant also mentioned that even President Rodrigo Duterte was not yet the frontrunner in the presidential surveys at this point in 2016.

"Kung babalikan natin yung surveys nung 2016, at this time of the campaign, iba pa 'yung ranking ng mga kandidato. In fact kahit si President Duterte, this time 6 years ago, hindi pa siya frontrunner. So 'yung experience talaga namin from 2016, 'yung pag-surge sa numbers nangyayari during the official campaign period," Robredo stated.

On Monday, March 14, a recent Pulse Asia survey taken from February 18 to 23 on 2,400 respondents showed former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong Marcos Jr. as the front-runner keeping his 60 percent rating from last month while Robredo emerged a far second with 15 percent, a point lower.

But despite her static ratings in pre-election surveys, Robredo said she remains optimistic of her chances of winning, noting that her team saw a drastic surge in her ratings following her recent efforts to lure voters in various places across the country.

Since the campaign began last month, Robredo’s camp was able to mount a series of massive rallies from different places in the country which drew tens of thousands of her supporters or kakampinks in Cebu, Iloilo, Cavite, Bulacan, Bacolod, Isabela, among others. 

"Yung experience ko kasi, kailangan kong sipagan na mabisita as many places as possible dahil yung conversion sa aking pagbisita ay malaki. Meaning to say, kahit yung internal surveys namin, nagpapakita na 'yung mga lugar na napuntahan ko na, 'yung surge sa numbers, significant," she explained.

Robredo also stressed the need for her camp to exert more effort in enticing voters following the results of the recent survey, especially in Mindanao, wherein only 5 percent picked her for president based on the recent Pulse Asia poll results.

"Ang kalaban lang talaga namin dito oras, so kung napapansin niyo, talagang yung schedules namin, talagang as many places as possible during the day. I wish we would have more time kasi mas gusto ko din mas babad sana para mas quality 'yung engagement. But we make do,” Robredo asserted. 

“Sa amin, walang maliit, walang malayo, walang balwa-balwarte. Whether nanalo kami, natalo kami during the last elections, yung pagpapakilala, yung pagpapahayag ng platform tsaka paniniwala, pareho pa rin," she added.


Edited by Danfe Lean Grace R. Elopre