FEW days before the 2019 midterm elections, a survey conducted by a prominent university showed that Dabawenyos Christopher "Bong" Go and Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa will probably win in the senatorial race.
On Friday, May 3, the Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) unveiled the results of its Off-Campus Blue Vote Electoral Survey, wherein 1,599 respondents from the 67 barangays in Davao City were surveyed.
Blue Vote, under the University Research Council (URC), is an AdDU-commissioned survey that aims to get high-quality empirical data about electoral preferences among different respondents.
The survey was conducted from April 4 to 16 this year.
Go, former presidential aide of President Rodrigo Duterte, topped the survey with 80.9 percent of the respondents voting for him, while Dela Rosa, former Philippine National Police director, was second with 75 percent.
Both Go and Dela Rosa are candidates under the administration parties Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) and Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP).
Both names also topped the University of Mindanao's Institute of Popular Opinion's (UM-IPO) survey that was released on April 24.
Respondents also favored the following senatoriables: Pia Cayetano (56 percent), Cynthia Villar (55.8 percent), Edgardo "Sonny" Angara (50.7 percent), Francis Tolentino (49.2 percent), Imee Marcos (44.4 percent), Grace Poe (41.5 percent), Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. (37.8 percent), JV Ejercito (35.3 percent), Dong Mangundadatu (32.8 percent), Jinggoy Estrada (30.6 percent), Nancy Binay (26.5 percent) and Lito Lapid (26.1 percent).
All candidates, except for Poe, who is running as an independent, are either actively endorsed or are openly associated to President Duterte.
Meanwhile, Duterte's children: Sara Duterte-Carpio (running for city mayor), Sebastian "Baste" Duterte (running for city vice mayor) and Paolo "Pulong" Duterte (running for first district congressman) are also expected to win the race.
Sara, incumbent city mayor, garnered 96.6 percent, while Jun Marcellones only had 0.3 percent.
Baste, a first-time candidate and neophyte politician, is an unopposed vice mayoralty candidate, gaining 87.5 percent, while his elder brother, Paolo, received 88.8 percent votes from respondents for the first district congressional seat, while Rex Labis and Susan Uyanguren shared 0.6 percent and 0.9 percent, respectively.
Unopposed congressional candidates Vincent Garcia (second district) and Isidro Ungab (third district) earned 82.3 percent and 88.6 percent, respectively.
Meanwhile, top eight choices for councilors for the first district included Mabel Acosta (70.8 percent), Melchor Quitain (63.1 percent), Kap Ibuyan (57.7 percent), Jessica Bonguyan (53.7 percent), Pilar Braga (52.2 percent), Bonifacio Militar (50.6 percent), Nilo Abellera Jr. (50 percent), and Pamela Librado (48.1 percent);
In the second district, Louie John Bonguyan led with 63.4 percent of the respondents voting for him. He was followed by Danny Dayanghirang (61.1 percent), Dante Apostol (58.7 percent), Diosdado Mahipus (57.5 percent), Jonard Dayap (48.5 percent), Florence Alejandre (43.4 percent), Brogie Dureza (40.4 percent), and Ralph Abella (38.1 percent).
In third district, Nonoy Al-ag topped the list with 75.5 percent, followed by Alberto Ungab with 72.3 percent, Joselle Villafuerte (67.9 percent), Myrna Dalodo-Ortiz (65.8 percent), Sweet Advincula (64.9 percent), Conde Baluran and Petite Principe (63.6 percent), and Cocoy Zozobrado (60.4 percent).
However, ADDU URC-Social Research, Training and Development Office (SRTDO) director Mildred Estanda clarified the survey's intention.
"ADDU does not officially recommend using survey data as a guide to help determine one's actual vote. We still have 10 days. At the end of the day, it boils down to the voter," Estanda said.
ADDU URC chair Lourdesita Chan, meanwhile, said the survey was intentionally released on the day before the Commission on Elections' (Comelec) ban on releasing survey, because they wanted to track the stability in the preference of Davao electorates as the election draws nearer.