Poe signs Veritas’ TRUTH covenant

MANILA, Philippines – If Filipinos really desire change, they should embrace one that is based on kindness and compassion, Sen. Grace Poe said yesterday as she signed the TRUTH covenant at Radio Veritas in Quezon City.

She expressed hope she is sending her message of “Gobyernong may Puso” across.

“I’m urging our countrymen to think what exactly is the kind of change they want. What we need is humane change,” she said in Filipino when asked to comment on the latest Pulse Asia survey showing a one point drop in her ratings, before heading for campaign sorties in Quezon and Batangas.

While an independent candidate like her does not have the machinery of the administration and other major political parties, Poe said she remains hopeful her message to the people is taking root.

“It’s really something if you have the machinery of the administration. We need to match their machinery with energy. We just continue to do our rounds. We don’t lose heart,” she said in Filipino.

Liberal Party standard bearer Manuel Roxas II overtook her by one point in the latest Pulse Asia ABS-CBN surveys.

Her runningmate Sen. Francis Escudero is also lagging behind Leni Robredo and Ferdinand Marcos Jr., after topping surveys at the start of the campaign season.

Poe said that while she continues to respect and trust survey results, they are never a guarantee of victory.

She cited the case of her late father Fernando Poe Jr., who won overwhelmingly in the National Capital Region in 2004, contrary to surveys.

FPJ ran for president in 2004 but lost to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in what is widely believed to be fraudulent elections.

She also cited the case of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and Vice President Jejomar Binay, who were voted into their current positions despite lagging in surveys.

Poe herself barely made it to the Magic 12 in surveys in 2013 but ended up garnering more than 20 million votes to top the senatorial race. It was the highest number of votes cast for a candidate in Philippine election history.

“In this election, I’m just doing my best. I don’t give up in the face of challenges. And most of all, I always keep in mind the reason why I’m running,” she said.

She added she takes pride in running a positive campaign, citing her promise to the people and Manila Archbishop Luis Cardinal Tagle last year, before the campaign period began.

“I don’t do black ops just to get ahead,” she said.

More backers

Escudero also expressed optimism he and Poe can still win the election after getting endorsements from the People’s Coalition for Progressive Philippines (PCPP), the Confederation of Coconut Farmers Organization of the Philippines  and the Tri-Council Mindanao.

PCPP is a coalition of 146 socio-civic organizations with a combined membership of 14 million people nationwide.

PCPP chairman Manuel Barbara Jr. and other members of the board signed on Tuesday a manifesto expressing their full support for Escudero’s vice-presidential bid.