Partido Reporma chairman and standard bearer Sen. Panfilo Lacson emerged as the top preferred choice for president in at least two provinces, Negros Oriental and Cebu.
Lacson bested current frontrunner Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in the two areas considered the top vote-rich provinces.
Lacson is making steady progress in terms of his ranking in the 2022 presidential race, based on an independently commissioned opinion poll held earlier this month.
Around 6,176 respondents participated in the pre-election survey for president conducted between November 6 to 12 showed Lacson improved his ranking in four regions: Metro Manila, Northern Luzon, Central Luzon, and Southern Tagalog. He currently occupies the No. 2 spot.
The Partido Reporma chairman led all presidential aspirants among survey respondents in Amlan, Negros Oriental and Mandaue City, Cebu with 46-percent and 64-percent of votes tallied in those areas respectively.
The independent poll included Vice President Leni Robredo, who ranked number three in Northern Luzon, Central Luzon, and Southern Tagalog regions, as well as Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, who also stood at number three in Metro Manila and Cebu.
Meanwhile, Lacson’s running mate, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, maintained his substantial lead over three of his rivals in a similar pre-election survey conducted for the 2022 vice presidential (VP) race. Macon Ramos-Araneta
Some 4,393 respondents participated in the vice-presidential polling and a significant majority of them went for Sotto. Incumbent Senator Francis ‘Kiko’ Pangilinan and cardiologist Dr. Willie Ong were statistically tied at number two, while former Manila Mayor Lito Atenza ranked third.
The Senate president gained 66 percent of votes among survey respondents in Metro Manila and Southern Tagalog, 59 percent in Central Visayas, and 72 percent in provinces within Northern and Central Luzon regions.
Lacson recognized that momentum in terms of his own poll numbers is somewhat ‘slow’ but he remains “encouraged” by it.
“I pay more attention on the efforts of our people on the ground. I pay more attention on studying the solutions to the humongous problems that we have right now. At the end of the day, it will be issues that will matter,” Lacson said when asked if he pays attention to surveys.
The independent survey report furnished to Partido Reporma covered around 25 locations in selected cities and municipalities across Metro Manila, Northern Luzon, Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog and Central Visayas regions.
Presidential daughter and incumbent Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio was placed on the list of presidential aspirants as the survey was conducted, prior to her official declaration of candidacy for vice president. She emerged as the third choice for president in Negros Oriental.
Duterte-Carpio ranked at either fourth or fifth in other locations almost the same as boxing icon turned Senator Manny Pacquiao. Data for other presidential aspirants such as labor leader Leody de Guzman and Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go were not available. Macon Ramos-Araneta