PULSE ASIA POLL SHOWS PINOYS WANT ISSUE-ORIENTED CAMPAIGN, SAYS TEAM PNOY

MANILA, March 11, 2013-The administration coalition Team PNoy on Monday/March 11 said the latest Pulse Asia survey showing its continued overwhelming dominance of the opposition UNA only proves that the electorate is responding positively “to a clean, issue-oriented, and message-driven campaign.”

Team PNoy spokesman Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo said the nationwide poll released by Pulse Asia on Monday confirms what the Liberal Party-led coalition has been saying all along -- that "a clear positive message, more than mud-slinging campaign style coupled with hoopla and entertainment,  is what the people have been aching to hear from the candidates.”

“This campaign has always been about issues and our people are listening, responding, and reacting to our candidates in a meaningful way. All our sorties bear this out. Sawa na sila sa maka-lumang kampanya ng paninira," he said.

Bam Aquino’s almost 12% rise in the survey made him the biggest gainer of Team PNoy's positive campaign style. "In just one month, Bam rose from 13^th place to 6^th place without having to resort to mud-slinging,” Quimbo said.

Another significant survey gainer is Team PNoy candidate Grace Poe, the former MTRCB chairman. Despite being dropped by UNA from its slate, she got an 11.2% boost in her rating, landing her in the 4th-10th spot.

Quimbo said Poe’s meteoric rise “only means that UNA lacks endorsement power,” referring to UNA's decision dropping Poe and two other Team PNoy bets, Sen. Legarda and Escudero, as guest candidates from its slate last month.

“UNA’s decision has had a liberating effect on her. Noong nilaglag siya ng UNA, du’n pa tumaas ang rating niya,” Quimbo said. He likewise observed that Legarda and Escudero continue to top the surveys despite the dropping by UNA.

The Marikina lawmaker said the Pulse Asia survey “is a complete validation of the previous SWS poll conducted a week before the Pulse Asia survey which showed Team PNoy candidates holding an overwhelming lead over those of UNA.

“I wonder if this time, UNA will accept these results,” Quimbo said.

He also pointed out that the survey was conducted when the Sabah issue dominated the news headlines. “Again, this confirms our position that the said issue, contrary to what UNA candidates had been saying, will have no negative effect on Team PNoy candidates,” he said.

The pre-election survey, conducted between Feb. 24-28, showed that of the 15 candidates who have a ‘statistical chance of winning,” nine were under the Team PNoy slate while six were from UNA.

Re-electionist Senators Legarda, Escudero, and Alan Peter Cayetano – all from team PNoy-- shared the first three places while former Las Pinas Rep. Cynthia Villar, San Juan Rep. JV Ejercito Estrada, Bam Aquino, and Nancy Binay were in joint 4^th to 9^th places.

Poe was tied in 4^th to 10^th places, re-electionist Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel was at 4^th to 12^th place and re-electionist Gregorio Honasan at 8^th to 13^th place. Cagayan Rep. Jack Enrile and re-electionist Antonio Trillanes IV tied at 9^th to 15^th places; Aurora Rep. Edgardo “Sonny” Angara at 10^th to 15^th place; and former senators Juan Miguel Zubiri and Richard Gordon at 11^th to 16^th places.