CEBU, Philippines - One Cebu party leader Governor Gwendolyn Garcia and Vice-Governatorial bet Glenn Soco said they are not discouraged by survey results that have Soco lagging behind incumbent Vice Governor Greg Sanchez.
In fact, Garcia said that Soco is not lagging behind and is actually narrowing the lead basing on the five percent samplings that they got from the survey that their party made in the six districts of Cebu.
Garcia said that they just finished the survey in all towns and cities of the province for their own consumption where the samplings taken were randomly selected on a barangay basis.
She said that understandably, since the survey was conducted a month after the filing of candidacy, the incumbents are leading in the survey.
But she said despite this, in several districts “Glenn is narrowing the lead. He is even doing far better than my own opponent.”
Garcia said that there is still three months to go before the elections and stressed that surveys in the first place are just guides or indications and that surveys are not the results of the actual election.
“Glenn is doing far far better than what would have been expected for someone who was a relative unknown and a very new face in the political scene and has not had the luxury of possessing a name that has been previously established in the provincial political area,” she said.
Soco said he is not worried about the surveys as they have, in fact, challenged him to do better.
“Let them enjoy their own figure, I will surprise them when time comes,” said Soco, who shared that despite the change in his lifestyle since the day he filed for candidacy, he is convinced that he made the right decision to run.
Soco said that his good working relationship with the governor gave him no hesitation to accept the offer to run for vice governor.
“I have seen so many LGUs which have failed to give the basic or the services needed to the community due to the disharmony of the executive and the legislative department headed by the vice governor,” added Soco, saying that he is confident that with the governor, they can make this change.
Soco said that right now, the party is at its strongest despite controversies that presently pop up due to the election period.
He said that they are visiting towns and he is capitalizing on building relationships with LGUs and those from the barangays which he noticed lacked the service of the vice governor.
Garcia also denied allegations that the Once Cebu party used government funds to conduct the survey saying it is just “another fabrication of someone who has been known to making these fabrications in press conferences.”
Meanwhile, Garcia said that she will not go back on her word to support presidential aspirant Gilbert Teodoro after rumors circulated she is now supporting Manny Villar for president.
Garcia said that the campaign season sparks up a lot of speculations, intrigues and innuendoes but these do not affect her principles.
Garcia also said they will soon announce who to support for vice president as well as for the Senate.
“At the proper time we will also announce who we will support for the vice president and the senatorial lineup. For now, I don’t see it as a major crisis if we do not announce it yet,” she said adding that they need to make an announcement after a studied and judicious manner. – AJ de la Torre/BRP (THE FREEMAN)