CAYETANO ZOOMS IN LATEST VP'S POLL

By Marlon Purificacion

VICE presidential hopeful Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano surged in the survey conducted by TNS Philippines recently, which showed him almost tied statistically in third spot with administration candidate Naga Rep. Leni Robredo.

ARCHBISHOP. Senator Alan Peter Cayetano and wife Tagig City Mayor Lani Cayetano in a huddle with Archbishop Socrates Villagas before the start of the Easter Sunday’s mass at the St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Brgy. Caranglaan, Dagupan City. Villegas is the current Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan in Pangasinan, and from 2013, President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines. MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

In the TNS survey Cayetano garnered 16% while Robredo has 19 percent in the March 18, 2016 survey.

Sen. Chiz Escudero kept top spot with 29% while second is Sen. Bongbong Marcos with 23 percent.

The TNS survey was conducted among 1,200 respondents with plus or minus 3 margin of error. TNS is a market research firm known for its expertise in political and market research.

In the March 18 survey, Cayetano’s ratings improved four percent in just a few weeks after the start of March when his rating was only 12%.

The survey was made at the same time the ABS-CBN Pulse Asia poll was made from March 8-13, which showed Cayetano’s running mate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte statistically tied with Sen. Grace Poe in the top spot for presidential frontrunners.

Duterte garnered 25% while Poe got 26%. Vice President Jejomar Binay had 22%, Mar Roxas 20%, and Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago 3%.

In the ABS-CBN Pulse Asia survey, Cayetano led in Mindanao with 24% while Escudero notched 20% followed by Robredo with 19 percent.

According to University of the Philippines Political Science Professor Ranjit Rye, the recent survey results indicate that there is a neck-and-neck contest between four vice presidential candidates.

“Ang daming factors ang dapat tignan kung bakit sadyang humahabol si Cayetano although he really has to campaign real hard in the last 45 days of the campaign. Andyan yung matagumpay na pagkilala ng mga tao na si Cayetano ang lehitimong ka tandem ni Duterte na isang front runner kapantay si Poe. This has kicked in especially in Mindanao na number 1 na si Cayetano,” said Rye.

He added that without a winnable presidentiable, Robredo will suffer the consequences of the LP machinery disintegrating.

 The still under construction St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Brgy.
 Caranglaan, Dagupan City.. MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

“Thus far si Chiz Escudero pa din ang number one pero mukhang napako na siya between 25-29% depende sa survey. That being said, it’s a four way fight,” Rye noted.

Cayetano has shown his capability to catch up and make a surprise. It may he recalled that in 2007, a certain Pepito Cayetano was pushed to run to derail the candidacy of Cayetano.

But he prevailed and won a Senate seat with a seventh spot victory.

Last 2013 senatorial elections, Cayetano made it in third spot among other senatoriables including Escudero.