LESS THAN two weeks before the midterm elections, former Manila mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso maintained his top spot in the OCTA Research poll on the capital city’s mayoral race.
Surpassing ten other mayoral bets, Domagoso was preferred by more than half or 63% of the respondents in the latest OCTA survey conducted from April 20 to 23.
While the former mayor consistently dominated the poll, he saw successive dips in his scores. His latest score was four points lower than the 67% he obtained in March.
Incumbent Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna and Tutok To Win party-list Rep. Sam Verzosa switched places in the latest survey although their combined score was just a little more than half of that of Domagoso.
Lacuna was preferred by 18% of the respondents, an improvement from 15% previously, allowing her to rise to second place. Verzosa, who dropped to third place, maintained a score of 16%.
Actor Raymond Bagatsing gained 1% of the voter preference. The rest of the candidates posted a score of zero.
Domagoso is also the frontrunner across all districts, gaining the highest score in the fifth district at 81%. The district is composed of barangays in Ermita, Intramuros, Malate, Port Area, San Andres and South Paco.
In the Sampaloc area, the former mayor got 45%, followed by Lacuna (28%) and Verzosa (24%).
Days before the poll results, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) issued a show-cause order to the top three candidates over alleged vote-buying.
On April 24, Domagoso faced a complaint for allegedly handing out P3,000 to public school teachers in Manila, while Verzosa was accused of distributing goods with his “SV” initials. Lacuna received the same order from Comelec the following day to explain vote-buying allegations and misuse of welfare programs.
Domagoso and Lacuna ran as a team during the 2019 elections and won, representing the political party Asenso Manileño Movement. He was later succeeded by Lacuna, who became the first female mayor of the capital city.
Early last month, Domagoso promised to remove city health officer Arnold “Poks” Pangan, also Lacuna’s husband, from office because of the online reservation system in health centers that supposedly made healthcare access difficult for the elderly.
The Manila Health Department, headed by Pangan, also implemented the contentious health permit ordinance, which required all workers to undergo medical procedures every year. The policy was signed during Domagoso’s term as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following concerns from several employees who found the ordinance “redundant” and “unfair,” Pangan reduced the health permit cost to P365 from P625 and no longer required private school employees to take a health examination in the city government’s health facility.
Domagoso vowed to restore cleanliness and revitalize infrastructure in Manila if he wins this year’s elections. Lacuna promised to create jobs, ensure vendor protection and sustain social amelioration programs, such as benefits for senior citizens.
Verzosa plans to aid vulnerable sectors, improve healthcare and provide livelihood opportunities.
The poll was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 1,200 registered voters and had a ±3% margin of error.
OCTA Research is a polling, research and consulting firm established in 2019 that gained recognition for its advisories and projections related to the global pandemic. F — Rovy Jilyn Fraginal
