‘Roxas to get 6-M Mindanao votes’

ALUBIJID, Misamis Oriental: Liberal Party (LP) Presidential candidate Manuel “Mar” Roxas 2nd will get around six million of the 12.6 million-strong Mindanao vote.

This was the pronouncement of Rep. Peter Unabia during Roxas’ campaign rally here, noting that at least three vote-rich provinces in Mindanao are supporting Roxas’ presidential bid.

Unabia cited that 17 of the 25 towns in Misamis Oriental are backing Roxas, on top of the provinces of Misamis Occidental, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte and Lanao del Norte, among others.

“I would say 50 percent is for Mar. The rest is for the others… Grace Poe, [ Davao City Mayor Rodrigo] Duterte. Binay?

Mindanao [Binay is weak in Mindanao],” Unabia told reporters during Roxas’ campaign stop here.

“There’s that impression that Duterte is very strong here, and yes, he is a formidable opponent. But there are provinces here in Mindanao where Duterte will trail Mar. In Surigao del Sur, all of the mayors and barangay captains are for Mar. It’s the same case in Agusan del Norte, as well as here in Misamis Oriental. I would guarantee 50 percent of the votes here will be for Mar. People depend on their mayors’ and barangay captains’ endorsement,” Unabia added.

Roxas has recently rated 18 and 19 percent which is only good for fourth place in successive Social Weather Stations and Pulse Asia surveys, but Unabia assured that Roxas’ support in the grassroots is unfazed.

The Pulse Asia survey showed Duterte zooming past everybody at 30 percent, beating former frontrunner Sen. Grace Poe, who had 25 percent.

But Unabia disputed this and argued that internal surveys conducted by the ruling LP peg Roxas’ average ratings at 34 percent— still not the topnotcher,