BOPK, Kusug candidates battle neck to neck in survey

CEBU, Philippines - Bets from Bando Osmeña – Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) and Kugi Uswag Sugbu (Kusug) battle neck to neck in a survey conducted in December among 1,500 Cebu City residents.

Roberto Ybañez, head of Cebu Research, said the survey was conducted through random interviews among 750 respondents both in the north and south districts from December 7 to 14, 2009. The respondents were asked if they were voters in Cebu City and who they would choose if the elections were held at that time.

Both Mayor Tomas Osmeña and businessman Jonathan Guardo who are running for congressman in the south district got equal rating

Osmeña got 375 votes or a 50 percent rating while Guardo got 360 votes or a 48 percent rating, but Ybañez explained that since the survey had a plus/minus five percent margin of error, ratings for Osmeña and Guardo turned out equal.

In the north district, BOPK bet Rachel del Mar leads with 330 votes or a 44 percent rating against Lahug barangay captain Mary Ann delos Santos of Kusug with 308 votes or a 41 percent rating. One hundred five respondents were undecided.

In the mayoralty race, former mayor Alvin Garcia of Kusug got 687 votes or a 46 percent rating against Vice Mayor Michael Rama of BOPK with 650 votes or a 43 percent rating.

Other mayoralty candidates Georgia Osmeña and John Henry Osmeña got 71 votes and 51 votes respectively.

Meanwhile, in the vice mayoralty race, former Councilor and education consultant Augustus Young of BOPK got 750 votes or a 50 percent rating against the 309 votes or 21 percent rating of his rival Aristotle Batuhan of Kusug.

Garcia, who was also included in the vice mayoralty survey, got 248 votes or a 16 percent rating.

Former Councilor Eugenio Gabuya, on the other hand, got 104 votes or a seven percent rating while lawyer Emmanuel Pacquiao got 23 votes or a two percent rating.

Sought for comment, Guardo said Osmeña has a reason to be worried. He said the survey results simply showed that the residents in the south district want changes in direction and leadership.

“He should be worried. Despite spending a ton of money for senior citizens and allocating P600 million for south district alone, we’re still tied,” he said.

“No wonder he has become so irritable lately that he has resorted to suing me. It’s probably the reason why Mayor Osmeña has gone back to drinking alcohol again against doctor’s advice. He can’t take the heat,” Guardo added.

In the same survey, Senator Benigno Aquino leads among the presidentiables with 826 votes or a 55 percent rating followed by Senator Manuel Villar with 413 votes or a 27.5 percent rating. In third place is former president Joseph Estrada with 114 votes or an eight percent rating while the fourth place is occupied by administration bet Gilberto Teodoro with 88 votes or a six percent rating. Senator Richard Gordon came lands in fifth place with three votes or a 0.2 percent rating.

Among the vice presidentiables, Aquino’s running mate, Senator Manuel Roxas, enjoys a wide margin of 1,008 votes or a 67.2 percent rating followed by Senator Loren Legarda with 311 votes or a 21 percent rating. Estrada’s running mate, Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, came in third with 61 votes or a four percent rating followed by Teodoro’s running mate, movie actor Edu Manzano, with 28 votes or a two percent rating. Gordon’s running mate, Bayani Fernando got 21 votes or a one percent rating.

Ybañez did not disclose who initiated the survey, but said it was commissioned by someone running for a national post. — Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/JMO (THE FREEMAN)