Warning: Video contains foul language

MANILA - After urging Filipinos not to vote for Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on Facebook, singer Mystica again lashed out at the presidential candidate in a video that circulated on the social media site Thursday.

At the beginning of the clip, Mystica, whose real name is Ruby Rose Villanueva, claimed that she was being offered money to change her mind about her stand against the tough-talking mayor.

"Kung ipaglaban ko ang isang prinsipyo ng isang Mystica, kailangan pangatawanan ko po kung ano iyong naging salita ko noon," she said.

Mystica then placed doubt on Duterte's promise of eradicating crime in the country should he be elected president. She also criticized the candidate's planned curfew policy, and shared the story of her father's alleged murder during the Martial Law era.

Despite criticisms, Duterte leads survey

In the latest ABS-CBN survey conducted by Pulse Asia, Duterte led the pack with a clear lead over previous frontrunner Senator Grace Poe ahead of the May 9 presidential election.

The March 29 to April 3 poll survey saw 30 percent of 4,000 registered voters nationwide picking Duterte as their top choice for president. Poe followed Duterte at 25 percent.

Since then, Duterte's rivals have taken turns in lobbing criticisms against him. Poe has addressed the issue of crime and illegal drugs in the country, considered the cornerstone of Duterte's campaign.

Poe said that while fighting crimes is important, this must still be done in a responsible manner. "Hindi lang po patayan ang solusyon palagi. Hindi tayo magtitiis nang matagal."

"Ang kailangan lang ay organisado. Ang kailangan lang ay makatarungan, sapagkat kung nagkamali tayo sa ating desisyon at may naapektuhang isang inosente, hindi na po matatapos ang gulo," Poe explained.

Vice President Jejomar Binay, meanwhile, lambasted Duterte, saying only a coward would kill children or people "who are on their knees and whose hands are tied."

"Ang mali ay mali. Killing the poor, including helpless children, can never be justified. It is morally wrong and un-Christian. Killing people who are kneeling down or with their hands tied behind their backs is not courage. It is an act of cowardice. Duwag lang ang pumapatay ng bata. Duwag lang ang pumapatay ng taong nakaluhod at nakatali ang mga kamay," he said.

Duterte was earlier quoted as saying that he will not hesitate to kill members of teenage gangs in Davao City in an article published by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism in 2002.

Liberal Party standard-bearer Mar Roxas, for his part, castigated Duterte for the latter's plan to go to the West Philippine Sea and challenge China to a boxing or shooting match.

"Anong kagaguhan ito? Ganoon ba ang uri ng pamumuno na dadalhin mo sa ating bansa? Suntukan at barilan, 'yan ba ang sagot mo sa lahat ng suliranin ng ating bansa at ng ating mga kababayan?" he said

The country wants change

According to Duterte's former wife, the rise in the latest presidential surveys of the PDP-Laban standard-bearer is a reflection of voters' clamor for change.

"There’s so much corruption, so much drugs, crime. What people are seeing is that what he is doing in Davao, he will do it nationwide," said Elizabeth Zimmerman.

Political analysts Professor Prospero de Vera and Teddy Locsin Jr. also offered their own explanations as to why Duterte is now on top in the latest pre-election surveys.

"He's saying, we will stop this in six months. There's some anger and determination that is being projected," De Vera said.

"You might dislike the methods that he proposes, you might imagine that six months is an impossible task, but you have to credit the man for saying 'this has got to stop'," he added.