MANILA -- Seasoned broadcaster and administration senatorial bet Rey Langit said surveys are not a measure of one's viability to win.
In an exclusive interview with Sun. Star, Langit said pre-election surveys should not be seen as gospel truth as past election results showed otherwise.
“Ang survey di naman namin ini-ignore, ang survey is a guide lang but cannot be a basis of strength kasi di yun mag-identify ng mga personalities in the past, mga nag-top sa senatorial elections pero nung during the campaign ay sila ay nasa kulelat dun sa ranking,” Langit said.
It can be recalled that outgoing senators Mar Roxas, Jamby Madrigal, Richard Gordon, and Pia Cayetano were out of the "Magic 12" in several pre-election surveys in 2004 but the four made it on Election Day.
Roxas garnered the most number of votes in that senatorial contest with 19 million votes while Madrigal, Gordon, and Cayetano placed fourth, fifth, and sixth respectively.
In 2007, then junior military officer Antonio Trillanes IV ran for senator behind bars with results of the pre-election surveys showed him outside the winning circle. In the final pre-election survey of Social Weather Stations (SWS) from May 2 to 4, he got a 24-percent voter preference and placed 11th on election day.
The detained senator's victory was seen by various camps as a “protest vote” against the largely unpopular President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
"Ako naman, dito sa survey ng dalawang group na identified as SWS at Pulse Asia, consistent naman ang pag-akyat ko, in fact at this point in time of the campaign, mas very much improved ang aking ranking compared not necessarily sa mga ka-ticket ko pero sa ibang contenders na meron nang pangalan sa politics before dahil ako virtually, parang new sa larangan,” Langit said.
The veteran broadcaster advised his fellow candidates not to be easily swayed by poor showing in surveys and then drop out of the race.
“It will be very much unfair din sa mga kasama nating tumatakbo na medyo naiiwanan sa survey na mapre-conclude nila kaagad na at this point in time ay wala nang pag-asa. There's no such thing as walang pag-asa, it's anybody's ballgame, lahat ay nasa equal playing field,” he said.
Langit, who works for radio station DWIZ before joining the political fray, promised the setting up of a “welfare fund” to help the media if he is elected senator.
“Ang welfare fund ay siyang pwedeng sumagot mismo dun sa mga maiiwanan, once kung mawala ang isang reporter o kung may nangyaring masama sa kanya like handicapped siya at di makapagtrabaho, at least may maaasahan ang pamilya niya especially ang mga kids para sa kanilang education.”
In the latest Pulse Asia survey released last week, Langit got a 10.9-percent preferential rating, tying jailed Brigadier General Danilo Lim at the 19-26 spot.
Langit is ahead of militant lawmakers Liza Maza and Satur Ocampo, Ariel Querubin, singer Imelda Papin, lawyer Adel Tamano, among others.
Despite being a noted broadcaster, Langit’s awareness level is only at 63 percent. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)