I don’t think that the numbers and the fates of Davao City midterm election candidates will change. The University of Mindanao-Institute of Popular Opinion (UM-IPO), a highly credible institution, has shown a lopsided result that favored the Duterte leadership over that of Nograles.
The most that the Nograles camp could say was that while before erstwhile Mayor Rodrigo Duterte would rank very high in surveys, this time the numbers had declined. Maybe so, but they could have asked why, despite their “ayudas” and magma of propaganda, Karlo Nograles and his sister Migz scores remain stagnant.
Nograles offered himself as a young alternative to senior citizen Duterte who actually, at the age of 79 still makes the rounds of the country to rally for the candidacy of PDP-Laban senatorial slate . Speaker Martin Romualdez picked him and his sister to lead the well-funded political campaign to dislodge the Duterte leadership from its Davao turf. The best that Nograles can do however is a predatory move, recruiting members of Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod, the local political party of Duterte.
Davawenyos moreover have unwavering adherence to the inherent cultural value of “utang na loob” (debt of gratitude) thus all those that turn their backs from HTL and Duterte himself, and that includes Karlo, have their comeuppance. For the Garcia clan who had been with the Dutertes for decades, its 3rd generation kin Javi Campos will likely abbreviate the Garcia’s political control of the 2nd District of Davao City to a neophyte Omar Duterte.
The brothers Al-ag of Toril who too were allies with Duterte might soon fade away from politics as the results of the survey are quite devastating.
Well, Nograles and company may relish themselves from the results of OCTA Research survey which showed them as overwhelming victors in mayoral and congressional races. Their only problem is that OCTA issued a disclaimer that the survey, which was attributed to them, is fake.
Romualdez dream to become the next President is as nebulous as the fake survey. He now must accept the fact tha Davao is a Duterte country.
