Reelectionists belonging to the Team Lazatin, returnees and independent candidates in Angeles City topped the preferred city council bets in latest Data Analysis & Research for Elections (DARE) survey on the upcoming 2022 national and local elections. Veteran reelectionist Dan Lacson (19.4 percent), with an accumulated record of eight terms, took the top spot anew, which was conducted from December 27 to 31 and January 3 to 7, 2022. Parts of the survey pertaining to the upcoming national elections were released on Wednesday, January 13.
Respondents, from a sample of 16,344 adults, were allowed up to 10 names in the city council preference survey. The respondents were particularly asked, “Of the people on this list, whom would you vote for City Councilors if the May 09, 2022 elections were held today and why?” COVID-19 response has been the most prominent issue for candidates such as the distribution of “ayuda”, medical assistance, cash aid, livelihood projects and more. The survey has a +/- 2.53 % to 3.36 error margin.
Retired US Navy Master Chief Petty Officer June Gonzales Centeno, an official foreign privately-contracted Election Observer for Philippine Elections (2019 and 2022), appraised by his own mathematical evaluation that the error margin was attributed to candidates for city council only, excluding the single positions: presidential, vice-presidential, mayoral and vice-mayoral candidates, because a number of respondents voted more than 10 choices, (11-15).
Reelectionists dominated DARE’s list of 14 possible winners in the May 2022 council race, based on the recent survey.
Lacson was followed by (2) Doc Alfie Bonifacio – 15.3 percent; (3) Atty. Arvin Suller – 12.9 percent; (4) Tabun Barangay Chairman Alma Mercado – 11.5 percent; (5) Jay Sangil – 9.2 percent; (6) JC Aguas – 8.7 percent; Tying for rank (7) with reelectionist Niknok Banola (7.65%) was Mining Barangay Chairman Cris Cortez (7.64%). Banola and Cortez were trailed by six other familiar names in politics – tying for rank (? were council returnees Alex Cauguiran (6.83%) and Edu Pamintuan (6.82%); Tying for rank (9) were reelectionist Raco Del Rosario (5.72%) and Rodelio Mamac Jr. (5.71%); and tying for rank (10) were council returnee Alex Indiongco (2.94%) and eyeing for his second attempt Aaron Pineda (2.93%).
Why? These are the respondents’ common preferences.
LACSON – name recall, record holder 8-term local legislator, visibility, senior citizens welfare and benefits, public cemetery, COVID “ayuda”, Brigada Eskwela, Tolda Sa TODA; BONIFACIO – name recall, dental missions, committee chairmanships in various public hearings, save Chevalier School issue, affiliation in various organizations, COVID “ayuda”, name recall; Tooth extraction fee in private clinics used to be P500 (per tooth) but it doubled since the health crisis wreaked havoc and patients are charged with additional fees like PPEs, sanitizers and more. Bonifacio has been reaching the unreached by conducting at least two dental missions a week to cushion the expenses of Angelenos with toothaches and other oral problems;
SULLER – name recall, free notary, socialized housing for the urban poor sector, save Chevalier School issue, visibility, COVID ‘ayuda”, various affiliations; MERCADO – barangay chairmanship, barangay frontliner, COVID “ayuda”, livelihood projects, medical assistance, scholarship programs, visibility, civic and religious affiliations, women’s and other NGOs support, name recall, ABC Support; SANGIL – name recall, affiliation with Philippine Daily Inquirer, fraternity, name recall, COVID “ayuda”, boasts his winnability as “lone survivor” in the 2019 elections notwithstanding the lack of endorsement from an influential religious organization;
AGUAS – popularity as celebrity, name recall, COVID “ayuda”, social media sensation in Couple Power with 11,433 followers; TIED: BANOLA – name recall, oplan “Tuli” and hypertension check ups, fraternity affiliations, visibility, COVID “ayuda”; CORTEZ – barangay chairmanship, frontliner, COVID “ayuda”, fraternity and religious affiliations, ABC Support; TIED: CAUGUIRAN – name recall as former councilor, political/aviation track record, visibility, leadership and experience in local and national levels, affiliations with various organizations, his brainchild Partido Abe Kapampangan and “Tigtigan Terakan Keng Dalan”; PAMINTUAN – name recall as former councilor, son of ex-mayor now CDC chairman Ed Pamintuan, COVID “ayuda”, Partido Abe Kapampangan. TIED: DEL ROSARIO – name recall, COVID “ayuda”, Brigada Eskwela, visibility; MAMAC – name recall, visibility, son of Balibago Barangay Chairman Tony Mamac, LTO drivers seminars, identified with the late DILG Sec. Jesse Robredo. TIED: INDIONGCO – name recall as former councilor, visibility, Brigada Eskwela, COVID “ayuda”; PINEDA – name recall, Patrol Party List affiliation, visibility. One of the respondents commented: “Dapat si Mrs. In (Councilor Thelma Indiongco) na lang ang ulit tumakbo, maganda ang record niya sa city council; may two terms pa naman siya gaya ni Councilor JC Parker-Aguas.”
The latest DARE survey was conducted by five (5) teams using face-to-face interviews of respondents identified in random streets of the total 33 barangays, in various meetings and events during the holiday season however challenges were encountered in the last leg due to the implementation of stricter health protocols by the local government unit caused by the surge of COVID-Omicron cases.