‘Elections aren’t popularity contests’

We have seen during the past general elections that the popularity of a candidate is a crucial factor

A candidate’s popularity is not always a guarantee to winning the elections, a former top official of the House of Representatives said on Tuesday.

The results of the recent surveys, former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said, could not be indicative of what would come out of the peoples’ true choice in 2022.

Davao City Mayor and President’s daughter Sara Duterte once again topped another nationwide survey on the Filipino voters’ preferred next president for the next year.

Based on the report by OCTA Research recently released, Duterte remains the top choice for President and even for Vice President in the next elections.

For the presidential race, she was followed by Senators Grace Poe and Manny Pacquiao, former Senator Bongbong Marcos and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno.

For the vice-presidential race, Duterte was also followed by Moreno, Pacquiao and Poe.

Duterte initially topped Pulse Asia’s survey for presidential bets last December 2020.

I have also seen that in the 2016 elections, President Rodrigo Duterte was not that popular at first, but he still won.

Any politician’s edge in surveys, however, could not be enough to drive a candidate to victory, Alvarez said.

“We have seen during the past (general) elections that the popularity of a candidate is a crucial factor. But I have also seen that in the 2016 elections, President Rodrigo Duterte was not that popular at first, but he still won,” Alvarez told Daily Tribune in a phone interview.

“It was Mr. Duterte’s perseverance to make his platforms known by the public that won the presidency for him. (It was) not popularity,” the Davao del Norte lawmaker added.

Alvarez is currently working with a group for a voter’s education campaign. They visit different local government units to endorse a list of qualities that the public should look for in a presidential candidate. Their campaign started in January this year and will last until September 2021.

So far, the people’s feedback to the campaign is good, the congressman said.

“It’s really hard but we have to persevere. Even if it’s difficult, we have to do it so that we will succeed in our campaign,” he shared.

“We Need A Leader, 2022” is an advocacy promoting the idea that the next Philippine president should have the “brains, heart, balls and fortitude.”

“Common sense will tell us that the next president should be mentally strong and stable. One must know what to do with the national problems. Aside from the brains, one must have the heart that is sensitive and empathizing — someone who understands the sufferings of the people,” Alvarez explained.

He added that President Duterte’s successor must have the balls to lead and enough courage in facing concerns detriment of the national interests.