With their 83 years of combined experience in public service and vast network of political connections, it is impossible to discount the Lacson-Sotto tandem in the run-up to the 2022 synchronized national and local elections, an independent survey finds.
The political pairing of Partido Reporma standard-bearer Panfilo “Ping” Lacson and Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III of the Nationalist People’s Coalition emerged as the second preferred candidates that Filipinos would most likely vote for.
This is based on the latest “Pulso ng Pilipino” pre-election polling conducted by The Issues and Advocacy Center (The CENTER) between November 16 to 20, 2021 with a respondents’ base of 1,200.
In the survey, participants were asked: “If you are given a choice, and if the elections will be held today, who among these pairings or tandems will you vote for?” At least 21% of the respondents chose Lacson-Sotto, which ranked second overall, according to The CENTER.
As expected, presidential scions Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr. and Sara Duterte-Carpio became the much-hyped tandem at the moment with 35%, while Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo and Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan placed third at 15%.
Trailing them are the political pairings of Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao and Buhay party-list Rep. Joselito “Lito” Atienza (13%); Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso and Dr. Willie Ong (11%); and political activists Leodegario “Leody” De Guzman and Walden Bello (2%). Three percent of the voters are still undecided.
Meanwhile, Lacson climbed a notch higher again at fourth in the overall ranking for presidential candidates with 12% of the votes, inching closer to Robredo, who also placed third at 13%. Marcos, Jr. (36.5%) and Pacquiao (16.75%) remain as the top two contenders.
Moreno slipped to the fifth spot (10.75%) followed by Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go at sixth (7.5%).
Go withdrew his name from the vice-presidential race to avoid competing with Duterte-Carpio and joined the crowded presidential contest instead.
Ranking seventh to 10th places among the list of presidential candidates are De Guzman (.875%), retired General Antonio Parlade, Jr. (.75%), former presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella (.25%), and former Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales (.125%).
Sotto continues to lead the pre-election surveys for vice president with a solid 43% of voter preference followed by Duterte-Carpio (30%), Pangilinan (11%), Ong (10%), Atienza (3%), and Bello (1%).
Both Lacson and Sotto are banking on their collective experience as veteran lawmakers who also spent a great deal of their public lives serving the executive branch of government. Lacson used to lead the Philippine National Police while Sotto was a former vice mayor of Quezon City.