Gwen claims win over Magpale

In the interest of fairness, we need to give all candidates equal opportunity to air their sides. Former governor and former deputy speaker Gwen Garcia called this writer last Wednesday and requested that her own survey results be also presented in our column. She said that she and her father, Noy Pabling, were quite concerned about my earlier predictions that Vice Governor Agnes Magpale is leading and may edge out Gwen. The incumbent third district representative told us that in 2016, my predictions on the results of the congressional contests proved to be accurate. For I predicted then that she would win in the whole district and even in Toledo City, and win she did.

And so, here are the numbers coming from the camp of Gwen. (If the Magpale camp wishes to contest these, they may want to send their own survey results). The Garcia camp is saying that if elections were held last week, Gwen would get 67% of the votes to alleged Magpale's 33%. Gwen's numbers appeared credible because in their own survey, the Garcia camp admitted that Junjun Davide would beat Daphne Salimbangon in a ratio of 56% Davide and 44% Daphne. (Well, my own survey shows Junjun will get 68% over Daphne's 32%). Gwen claims that in the first district, she will garner 65.89% over Magpale's 34.11%. In the second district, Garcia claims she will get 65.81% and Agnes only 34.19%.

In the third district, her bailiwick, Gwen says that she will garner 75.74% and Agnes only 24.28%. I think this is a little exaggerated, but I concede Gwen will win comfortably in her own home district. In the fourth, Garcia is claiming 71.26% over alleged Magpale's only 28.74%. Even in the fifth, Magpale's own district, Gwen is claiming a lead of 63.96% over the supposed Agnes' votes of only 36.04%. In the sixth, Gwen claims that she will get 63.33% and Agnes, according to Garcia, would only obtain 36.67%. In the seventh, the home district of this writer, and the smallest in the whole Cebu province, Gwen claims she is getting 72.95% and Agnes would only get 27.05%.

Well, I have so much respect for the Garcias, especially Noy Pabling, Gwen's father,  as I have so much love for the Davides, especially the Chief Justice, Junjun's dad. But I honestly believe that if ever Gwen wins, she will not win by a ratio of 70 to 30. She might manage to get a vote of 55 to 60 per cent versus Magpale's 40 to 45%. But win is a win even by only one vote. I do agree that Magpale has to work harder and double time. Even if her image is that of a good girl, compared to Gwen who is the smart girl, Agnes, admittedly, and her camp must reexamine their strategies and tactics. There are just about 10 days before the D-Day. Time is their enemy.

I have affections for both Agnes and Gwen. Agnes is the traditional Filipina, subdued, soft-spoken and reserved, well-mannered and graceful. Gwen is dynamic, passionate, action-oriented, aggressive and full of energies. She is a tireless campaigner. I would say again that Agnes is from Venus and Gwen is from Mars. I hope that the really better woman wins. I can work with either one of them.