by Chito A. Fuentes
No less than Sen. Sergio Osmena III likes the survey results of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
Sources who refused to be named said Osmena, a season campaign strategist, himself presented recent survey results showing Duterte’s rising numbers in a recent meeting held at the senator’s residence.
The sources declined to be named because they were not authorized to speak for the mayor.
“Sen. Osmena himself showed the survey results to Mayor Duterte when he invited the latter to his house,” one source revealed.
 |
| The front-runner and the man behind the survey (Esquire photo) |
During that meeting, Osmena told Duterte that the mayor’s survey results are “very good”.
“Mayor Duterte is very strong in Moslem areas where he received 47%,” another source intimated.
Aside from being the only presidential timber from Mindanao, Duterte has also earned the respect of various Muslim groups in his previous dealings with them both in his official and personal capacity.
Duterte has direct access to Moro National Liberation Front founding chairman Nur Misuari, former Cotabato Mayor Muslimin Sema who heads a separate faction and Macapanton Abbas.
He has open lines to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and other splinter organizations.
A third source revealed that the survey results showed Duterte posting a phenomenal 90% approval rating in Southern Mindanao which is considered the mayor’s bailiwick.
These figures prompted Osmena to join the growing list of people urging Duterte to join the presidential race.
Without elaborating, Duterte acknowledged the meeting with Osmena and the impressive survey results in a recent gathering of relatives in Dumaguete.
“Serge Osmena invited me to his house,” the mayor confided to his audience in Bethel Hotel which included members of the local media.
Duterte said Osmena was trying to convince him by showing him the survey results.
“Ang iyang ingon gwapo ang ako kay taas kaayo ko (He said that mine was good because I rated very high),” Duterte recalled Osmena telling him.
The mayor said he felt awkward to admit it but Osmena told him he scored very high in his region.
Osmena’s attempt to convince Duterte is significant because the senator is a close confidant of Sen. Grace Poe.
He was credited for running Poe’s successful campaign in 2013 and was conceded to take charge in the event that she pushes through with her bid for a higher office.
While he had previously declared that his decision not to run is “final”, Duterte admitted to his relatives that he might just be obliged “if there is a moral crisis”, generating applause from his audience.
Former Dumaguete Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo, himself reported to be eyeing his old post, organized the reunion.
When he introduced Duterte, Remollo joked that there is “no truth to the rumor that the next reunion will be in Malacanang”.
Responding to this near the end of his talk, Duterte said “basig madayon to nga ang sunod nga meeting adto na sa Malacanang (just maybe this will materialize that the next meeting will be in Malacanang).
This is music to the ears of never-say-die Duterte rooters. (CHITO A. FUENTES)
No comments:
Post a Comment