33% in final survey ISSUES FAIL TO DENT DUTERTE’S POLL LEAD

By Imee Charlee C. Delavin

Reporter, Business World

NEITHER last week’s allegations of undeclared wealth nor the uproar caused by his earlier blithe remarks on the 1989 rape-slay of a female missionary did anything to narrow the lead of Davao City’s tough- and trash-talking mayor over his rivals in the race for the presidency that culminates on Monday.

Results of the last BusinessWorld-Social Weather Stations (SWS) pre-election survey conducted May 1-3 via face-to-face interviews with 4,500 validated voters nationwide — with a sampling error margin of ± 1 point — saw Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte ahead of the pack with a flat 33% score but still widen his lead over his closest contender, Senator Grace Poe, whose rating slipped to 22% from 24% from the preceding April 18-20 survey.

The survey was taken after allegations first surfaced on April 27 of Mr. Duterte’s undeclared millions of pesos in bank deposits.

The same survey saw Senator Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and Camarines Sur 3rd District Rep. Maria Leonor G. Robredo racing neck-to-neck for the vice-presidency.

It did not take into consideration information, released yesterday, that the Iglesia Ni Cristo has ordered its estimated two million members to vote solidly for Messrs. Duterte and Marcos.

Administration standard bearer former Interior secretary Manuel A. Roxas II’s score was steady at 20% from 19% while that of Vice-President Jejomar C. Binay — a former frontrunner whose popularity has significantly eroded as opponents linked him and members of his family to purportedly irregular deals — steadied at 13% from 14%.

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago continued to trail at 2%, flat from her previous score.

Four percent were undecided.

(The phenomenal readership of this page has increased to 7.9-million, an indication that people’s support for Duterte gets stronger as he is attacked. Image of MannyPiñol on Facebook taken by Bobong Piñol)