“This could be a portent of something that is expected to happen in the vote-rich region of Central Luzon,” said a political pundit.
Some 5,000 college students who are entitled to vote this coming May 9, 2016 elections seemed to favor a change in the country’s leadership with at least 40 percent of them batting for the Santiago-Marcos tandem even if both Senators Santiago and Marcos are yet to visit Pampanga.
Of those who participated in the mock polls, 40 percent or 2,000 votes were for Santiago followed by Rodrigo Duterte with 34 percent or 1,700 votes.
Sen. Grace Poe, who recently visited Pampanga, landed in 3rd with 12 percent or 600 votes while Jejomar Binay was 4th with 7 percent or 350 votes.
Liberal Party candidate Mar Roxas, the perennial lame duck in any surveys, landed 5th and last with a mere 4 percent or 200 votes – obliterating the “ Daang Matuwid” campaign slogan to smithereens.
Only 150 students were undecided.
For the vice presidential candidates, Marcos topped the mock polls with 32 percent or 1,600 votes followed by Sen. Francis Escudero with 28 percent or 1,400 votes.
Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano landed 3rd with 21 percent or 1,050 votes; LP bet Leni Robredo got 7.8 percent or 390 votes; Gregorio Honasan garnered 2 percent or 100 votes; and Antonio Trillanes got 2 percent or 100 votes while 360 students were undecided.
Meanwhile, the top eight candidates for senator were: 1. Tito Sotto (3,823 votes), 2. Leila de Lima (2,947 votes), 3. Franklin Drilon (2,582 votes), 4. Ralph Recto (1,966 votes), 5. Francis Pangilinan (1,661 votes), 6. Risa Hontiveros (1,503 votes), 7. Manny Pacquiao (1,286 votes), and 8. Dick Gordon (1,141 votes).