DAVAO CITY — Mayor Sara Duterte has expressed gratitude to Filipinos for choosing her as one of the top senatorial bets for the 2019 mid-term polls in the latest survey released on Saturday by Pulse Asia.
In the survey conducted among 1,800 registered voters, Mayor Sara was in the fifth spot of the 17 senatorial bets with 39.5 voter preference.
She followed incumbent Senators Grace Poe in the top spot, Cynthia Villar, Pia Cayetano, and Nancy Binay.
Trailing the mayor were Senators Sonny Angara and Jinggoy Estrada, Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos, Senators Koko Pimentel and Lito Lapid.
Sara, however, said she would like to continue working for Davao City as mayor.
“I am overwhelmed by the trust and confidence. I think our fellow Filipinos are interested in the work that my administration, both now and in 2010, has done in Davao City. If the Dabawenyos will re-elect me, I would like to continue working for Davao City as mayor,” Sara said in a statement on Sunday.
In past senatorial surveys of Pulse Asia and the Social Weather Stations, Sara also landed in the top 10.
In a survey conducted August 31 among 184 members of the Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), Sara tied with Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Secretary Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go in second place.
Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III topped the senatorial slate in the said survey.
Sara, along with Governors Anthony del Rosario of Davao del Norte, Nelson Dayanghirang of Davao Oriental, Claude Bautista of Davao Occidental and Jayvee Tyron Uy of Compostela Valley, are leading the Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod, a regional party created to push the region’s development as one Davao.
HNP has already forged an alliance with other local parties in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. (PNA)
