Duterte dismayed by survey frontrunners, bats for Tolentino, Go, Bato instead

President Rodrigo Duterte expressed dismay over a recent poll on Senate bets for this year's May elections, saying that his bets are way better choices for the people.

Duterte said his former political adviser Francis Tolentino, former aide Bong Go and former Philippine National Police chief Ronald dela Rosa deserve the Senate seat more because they are “extraordinary”.

“I could not even fathom...extraordinary man ang credentials. I don't want to derogate others, pero nakita niyo 'yung nanguna sa survey? Susmaryosep,” Duterte said during the birthday celebration of Tolentino.

Based on the most recent poll published Social Weather Stations and Pulse Asia in September 2018 and June 2018, respectively, only dela Rosa is near the frontrunners for a Senate seat since Tolentino and Go are nowhere near the Top 12.

In the SWS September 2018 survey, Bato almost made it to Top 12 by ranking 13th to 16th with 19 percent rating as against Tolentino (ranked 20th with 11 percent) and Go (ranked 22nd with 10 percent).

Pulse Asia's June 2018 poll, on the other hand, ranked dela Rosa at seventh place with a 37 percent rating.

Both Tolentino and Go, however, remained way below the Top 12 even in the Pulse poll, ranking 23rd to 31st with an identical 9.9 percent rating.

"Ito [si Tolentino], dedicated, may alam, he really took care of Bicol, he was there for two weeks. Trabahante ng gobyerno. 'Pag binigyan mo ng pera, makikita mo ang resulta,” Duterte said, referring to a time when Tolentino oversaw the government's relief efforts during the eruption of Mayon Volcano in January 2018.

“Ito si Bong, he has been with me for almost 20 years. Graduate ito ng La Salle,” Duterte said, referring to Go's Management degree.

The President then said that the country needs workhorses like Tolentino and dela Rosa in the Senate.

“You need Tolentino, mahirap hanapin 'yang dedication, 'yung na-in love sa trabaho,” Duterte said.

“And not because he is a friend, he has proven integrity, si Bato [dela Rosa]. Fundamentally honest. 'Pag binigyan mo ng pera para sa operation, he produces results. Magbigay ng accounting. That is how he is trained,” Duterte added. —JST, GMA News