A non-commissioned research-survey conducted by the independent Maharlika TV has predicted close fights among candidates in the May elections in the country’s two premier cities, Quezon City and Manila.
Maharlika TV, headed by Martin Panlilio Angeles, conducted its face-to-face survey from April 1 to 10 covering 2,400 respondents or 400 respondents per district. It used specimen ballots for the positions of mayor, vice mayor, and congressman.
Manila has 1.1 million registered voters, while Quezon City has 1.4 million voters.
Based on the survey, the team of incumbent Mayor Joy Belmonte leads with a wide margin in Quezon City, while the successor of Mayor Isko Moreno, vice mayor Honey Lacuna, might face a fierce battle in Manila.
Both Belmonte and her running mate Vice Mayor Gian Sotto appeared to be sure winners, as well as their allies in the congressional race, in spite of being new aspirants, the Maharlika TV survey said. Maricel V. Cruz
In Manila, the survey indicated that mayoralty race between Lacuna and former congressman Amado Bagatsing is going to be close. Likewise, most of the incumbent congressmen would likely to be reelected in the May 9 elections.
The survey result showed that in Quezon City, Belmonte was still leading with 68.88 percent, while her closest rival, Anakalusugan party-list Rep. Mike Defensor, lags at 24.4 percent. In the vice mayoralty contest, Sotto was also way ahead with 56 percent, while his top contender Winnie Castelo struggles with 38.1 percent.
For the six congressional seats, Arjo Atayde leads with 63.50 percent over Onix Crisologos’s 34.6 percent (First District);.Ralph Tulfo secured a wide lead of 74.4 percent over Precious Castelo’s 24.6 percent (Second District); Franz Pumaren is neck-on-neck in the race with Allan Reyes with 49.65 percent and 48.65 percent respectively (Third District); Bong Suntay still secures the seat with 59.35 percent over Marvin Rillo’s 38.55 percent. (Fourth District); Patrick Micheal Vargas got 58.75 percent while Rose Lin got 28.1 percent. (Fifth District) and Marivic Co-Pilar leads the race with 59.25 percent, while Bingbong Crisologo is lagging at 37.60 percent (Sixth District).
All the leading candidates are neophytes except Suntay.
However, in Manila, former congressman Bagatsing is closing in at 37.08 percent with incumbent Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna’s 45.66 percent. For the vice mayoral race, Yul Servo leads with 61.15 percent while Raymond Bagatsing got 36.66 percent.
Rep. Manny Lopez may still secure his last term as representative of the first district with 39.50 percent over challengers Ernix Dionisio and Atong Asilo, each getting close scores of 31.25 percent and 28.75 percent, respectively. For the Second District, Rolan Valeriano is leading with 53.25 percent over Carlo Lopez at 46.75 percent Joel Chua is leading the congressional race in the third district of the city with his 58 percent over top contender Ramon Morales’ 35.50 percent. In district four, Edward Maceda widely leads the race with 82.25 percent, while Trisha David-Bonoan and Christopher Gabriel are both lagging at 12.5 percent and 4.5 percent, respectively. Incumbent congressman Crystal Bagatsing also leads the congressional race in the fifth district over Irwin Tieng, the former getting 70.25 percent versus the latter’s 29.50 percent. For the Sixth District, Benny Abante leads with 76 percent, while top contender Romualdo Billanes only gets 21.5 percent.
