Sara Duterte wants name off lists of choices in presidential bet polls

After topping the list of possible candidates for president in a recent Pulse Asia survey, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte on Friday asked pollsters to exclude her from similar surveys in the future.

Reached by GMA News Online, Sara Duterte said the 2022 national elections is "farthest from the minds of many Filipinos" amid the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We focus, firmly, on how to survive the economic and humanitarian crisis still in front of us," she said.

"We continue to battle the effects of COVID-19 on our people and our country. Nevertheless, I respectfully suggest to survey organizations to remove my name from the choices," she added.

The daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte was responding to the Pulse Asia survey showing her leading by a mile among possible 2022 presidential bets with a 26% rating — way ahead of second placers Senator Grace Poe and former senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. who both rated 14%.

In a separate statement, the camp of Vice President Leni Robredo likewise said it is too early to  give weight to pre-election polls

"The elections are still a long way away so we do not really pay much mind to these early survey results," Ibarra Gutierrez, Robredo's spokesperson, said.

"Right now, the Vice President is still focused on working to help our fellow Filipinos get past the crisis of COVID-19 and recover from the calamities of the past few months," he added.

"Masyado pang maaga para sa pamumulitika at pakikipag-gitgitan para sa eleksyon."

Robredo ranked sixth in the Pulse Asia survey with an 8% rating, trailing Sara, Poe, Marcos, Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno (12%) and Senator Manny Pacquiao with (10%).

The Pulse Asia survey was conducted on 2,400 respondents from November 23 to December 2, 2020 or while the nation is still in the middle of the COVID-19 battle.

The Pulse Asia poll's margin of error is ± 2% at the 95% confidence level.

Subnational estimates for each of the geographic areas covered in the survey  namely Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao also have a ± 4% error margin also at 95% confidence level. —KBK, GMA News