Presidential aspirant Ping Lacson campaigns in a gathering in Quezon City on February 9, 2022. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File
MANILA — Presidential candidate Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Tuesday said it is best to wait for results of the voting on May 9 instead of speculating, after Pulse Asia released on Monday the results of its final pre-election survey showing him in fifth place among 10 contenders.
In the pollster's April survey released on Monday, Lacson, a former national police chief, got the support of 2 percent of the 2,400 respondents nationwide.
Former Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. was on top with 56 percent, followed by Vice President Leni Robredo with 23 percent, Sen. Manny Pacquiao with 7 percent, and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso with 4 percent.
"Aside from the constant 2 percent survey results that they’ve been giving me for the past few months, now it is zero scores in both Visayas and Mindanao," Lacson noted.
His April ratings from the Visayas and Mindanao reflect a decrease by 2 percentage points and 1 point, respectively, from his March ratings.
"Instead of speculating, it is best for me to just wait for the May 9 election results which is not too long a wait after all," he said.
Lacson called on his supporters to go out and vote on Monday, as he said that it is "the ultimate show of support that matters to Filipinos of the present and future generations."
Pre-election surveys can be considered "snapshots of the moment" and reflect the people's sentiments at the time these were conducted, analysts have explained.
Hours after the latest Pulse Asia survey was made public, the firm's president Prof. Ronald Holmes said the actual results of the voting on May 9 may turn out to be different from the findings of their poll.
"May tsansa pa rin at maaaring magbago pa rin, kasi gaya ng sinabi ko, medyo mas maaga itong survey na ito, (kaysa) ginanap doon sa mga nakaraang survey, nakaraang eleksyon," Holmes told TeleRadyo.
(There is still a chance and this can still change. As I mentioned, we did the survey a bit earlier compared to the surveys done in the previous elections.)
"Ito ay ginanap kalagitnaan ng Abril hanggang April 21. So kung ikukumpara mo lang 'yung date na ginawa 'yung survey, medyo mas malayo siya sa actual election day," he said, adding the style of campaigning this time is notably differently from the previous elections.
(This survey was done from mid-April until April 21. So, compared to the date of the survey, it is still a bit far from the actual election day.)
On the same day the latest Pulse Asia survey was released, Lacson tweeted a video of his supporters campaigning for him in a rural area in Nueva Ecija.
"Pray tell, which candidate will not be inspired by volunteers who risk their limbs, selflessly campaigning in the “deepest corners” of the country?" he said of his supporters.
Lacson's running mate, Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III, has said that pre-election surveys and large campaign rally crowds do not guarantee a candidate's victory.
He noted that in 2019, his nephew Vico Sotto was lagging behind in surveys, but was eventually elected Pasig City Mayor.
"Kilala ng taumbayan kung sino ang tunay na magsisilbi sa kanila. Sa araw ng eleksyon, naniniwala ako na gagamitin ng ating mga kababayan ang kaniling isip at puso sa pagboto para sa mga susunod na lider na magtataguyod sa ating bansa," Sotto said.
(The people know who will truly serve them. On election day, I believe that the people will use their mind and heart in voting for the next set of leaders of our country.)
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