Duterte leads in mock polls inside debate venue

MAJORITY of those who attended the on-grounds event of the second PiliPinas 2016 presidential debate wanted Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte as the next leader of the country.

Red stamps were posted on a white board behind the standees of the five presidential candidates on the grounds inside the UP Cebu campus, where the Visayas leg of the debate was held.

As of past 5 p.m. yesterday, Duterte received 382 red stamps from the audience who were mostly students. This was more than all of the remaining four candidates’ votes combined.

Voting ended shortly before the debate started.

Although she was not present for the debate, Senator Miriam Santiago came in second with 180 stamps.

“For me, Miriam has the capability to rule the country. The other candidates pale in comparison. I’m just sad she’s not here. I was hoping for her to come since I really want to support her and hear her thoughts and hear her slay the whole debate,” said Zsatherlie Cate Imasa, 18, a UP Cebu psychology student.

The count made by Cebu Daily News also showed that Vice President Jejomar Binay came in third with 71; followed by Senator Grace Poe, 30; and Mar Roxas, 24.

However, there were no restrictions and safeguards to prevent people from voting more than once.

His being a “Bisaya” is a major reason why the attending Cebuano crowd was rooting for Duterte.

“Pareha man siya nato. Bisaya. Naay malasakit sa mga Bisaya. He’s the only person nga taga Cebu, nga nakibaka for us, for our future and ugma sa kabatan-onan,” said 37-year old Michelle Languido. (He is one of us. Bisaya. He will care for us, Bisaya. He is the only one from Cebu and will fight for us, for our future and that of the youth.)

Duterte, while a long-time resident of Davao City and known as a Mindanaonon, traces his roots to Danao City in the fifth  district in northern Cebu.

Languido, a law student of the University of the Visayas, said it’s about time that a Visayan representative  should be in power.

Lorenzo Castro, 58, a businessman, had only one thing to say why he voted for Binay in the mock survey: “Pobre siya. Unya nadato (He was poor who became rich),” he told CDN.

For Reymart Inot, 19,  his vote went to Poe because he felt he could trust her.

“I believe pareha siya sa iyang papa nga si FPJ. Ang iyang mga projects, I think iya gyud buhaton,” said the marketing student of Benedicto College.
(I believe she is just like her father, Fernando Poe Jr. She will do what she promised to do.)

Imi Liza Espina, 19,  is convinced with Roxas’s plans.

“He has straightforward and clear platforms. The others (are reacting based on) emotion. He has clear objectives and means on how to do so. The others only have vague comments,” said the UP Cebu political science student.

Those who voted had their photos taken with the standees and posted these on their Facebook or Twitter accounts with the the hashtag “#BilangPilipino.” They received white event T-shirts from organizers.