by Moises Cruz, Manila Times

January 26, 2022

ANAKALUSUGAN party-list Rep. Michael Defensor is ahead of incumbent Maria Josefina “Joy” Belmonte in the Quezon City mayoral race, according to a recent survey.

Of the 1,200 respondents surveyed from January 10 to 16, 53 percent favored Defensor while Belmonte got 39 percent, The Issues and Advocacy Center said.

Ed Malay, the director, said, “The Center learned that the main factor that contributed to the high disparity in the preference of respondents with regards to the mayoralty bids of Defensor and Belmonte was the failure of the City Government to adopt the necessary measures to mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 virus on the health and welfare of city residents.”

In the campaign for vice mayor, veteran Winnie Castelo received 48 percent, compared to the incumbent Gian Carlo Sotto, who got 22 percent.

“Another factor is visibility. If you want the votes of the people, then makisama ka (get along with them). The voters are on the ground level. ” Mr. Malay stated.

He also noted that local candidates who have a strong relationship with national candidates who might assist the city or municipality are favored by voters.

Rep. Anthony Peter “Onyx” Crilosogo (Lakas-Christian-Muslim Democrats), the incumbent in the first congressional district, leads his closest competitor, Juan Carlos “Arjo” Atayde, 49-24, by a margin of 25 percent.

The second district reelection candidate, Rep. Precious Hipolito Castelo (Lakas-CMD), was picked by 50 percent of voters, compared to 25 percent of her closest opponent, Ralph Wendel Tulfo Jr.

Reelectionist Rep. Allan Benedict Reyes (Nationalist People’s Coalition) was favored by 47 percent over his closest rival, Councilor Franz Pumaren, with 28 percent in the third legislative district.

It was a close race in the fourth congressional district, which is considered the Belmontes’ turf, with Marvin Rillo of the Defensor team trailing the top candidate on the Belmontes’ ticket by 3 percent, Rep. Jesus “Bong” Suntay.

In the fifth district, it was a close fight between Patrick Michael Vargas (39 percent) and entrepreneur Rose Lin (36 percent) from Defensor’s line-up.

And in the sixth district, Crisologo’s father, former representative Vincent “Bingbong” Crisologo (Lakas-CMD), was 22 percent ahead of his immediate opponent, Councilor Marivic Co-Pilar, 51-29.

The Issues and Advocacy Center is made up of public relations and media professionals. Its poll in Quezon City was part of a larger scale that also encompassed Pasay, Pasig, Caloocan, Makati, San Juan, Navotas and Pateros.