Facebook survey says CORRUPTION, CRIMINALITY MAIN ISSUES IN 2016 POLLS

By Manny Pinol

The recently concluded survey on Presidential choices for the 2016 elections revealed two major problems confronting Filipinos today – corruption and criminality.

These issues are expected to affect voters’ preference for the next President of the country.

Of the two issues, it is corruption in government service which seemed to concern the respondents the most as evidenced by how they preferred Davao City Mayor Rody Duterte over the erstwhie survey front runner Vice President Jejomar Binay.

The margin between the No. 1 Duterte, who got 66% of the votes, and the least liked Binay who was the cellar dweller at 4% could well be considered as indicator of people’s resentment for corrupt government officials.

The dislike for Vice President Binay, who is facing plunder charges and has so far failed to attend Senate hearings on alleged corruption in Makati City when he was Mayor and inexplicably backed out of a debate with Sen. Antonio Trillanes which he himself asked for, is such that even DILG Sec. Mar Roxas outranked him.

Roxas, who himself did not fare very well in the survey, came in 4th, one rank higher than neophyte Senator Grace Poe, who topped the Senatorial elections in 2013 but whose popularity may have been affected by her being mentioned as the possible vice presidential running mate of Binay.

The issue of criminalilty appeared to be the second concern which catapulted Duterte to the No. 1 spot, 41% higher than second placer Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

Duterte’s reputation as “The Punisher” who employed an iron fist in combating drugs and criminality widely believed to have led to making Davao City as the 4th Safest City in the World is the subject of positive comments of FACEBOOK followers.

Even outside of FACEBOOK, Duterte’s accomplishments against crime in his city, highlighted by the killing of a group of kidnappers who abducted a Metro Manila businesswoman who was brought to Davao where the ransom was supposed to have been paid, are admired by Metro Manila residents fearful of the killings perpetrated by motorcycle-riding assassins and cases of rape.

The dramatic and phenomenal public demand for Duterte to run for President could be an added pressure for the colorful Davao City Mayor to heed the call.