The wide margin that presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. enjoys over other contenders ahead of the May 9 polls can be attributed to a vast political machinery, a targeted messaging, and the support of his running mate, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
These were the observations made by OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David and Publicus Asia executive director Aureli Sinsuat during Monday’s Kapihan ng Samahang Plaridel forum hosted by Jullie Yap-Daza.
“The BBM camp did not just do their homework—they planned for this well. They have the political machinery,” David said.
He noted that in surveys conducted before the filing of the certificates of candidacy last year, Marcos’ numbers were in the 20 to 25 percent range.
“After the filing of the COC, the number jumped—skyrocketed—to where he is now,” David added.
He said Duterte-Carpio’s active campaign for Marcos also helped prop up his standing in all pre-election surveys.
“There was synergy. It was true to their message: there was unity [that worked to their advantage],” he said.
Sinsuat said an endorsement of another candidate from Duterte-Carpio’s father, President Rodrigo Duterte, may increase the numbers of his anointed one, but he is unsure if it will be enough to change the standing of the presidential aspirants a little over a month to go before the May 9 polls.
Earlier, political analyst Tony La Viña, a former dean of the Ateneo School of Government, told ABS-CBN that Marcos is leading because his campaign has projected him well to voters.
“Of course, there is a combination of factors. But, for me, this is not about even Marcos [historical] revisionism winning, is it? It’s the failure of the other campaigns to articulate a better future under them than under Marcos,” he said.
“This is not about whether they offer a better future or not. It’s about the people perceiving them to offer a better future,” he added.