Marcos eyes VP post despite polls result

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY - Despite trailing behind Senator Francis Escudero in the latest survey for the vice presidency, Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. was unperturbed by his status and says running for a higher office has risk.

Senator Ferdinand "Bong Bong" Marcos, Jr. answers
questions field by media men in Dagupan City
last Sunday.

“Every campaign is risky. You run for the Barangay Captain is a risk. Yes, it is risky.So I don’t know it even senatorial is risky. Lahat naman walang tiyak di naman tiyak,” he stressed at a plush restaurant here last Sunday.

When asked that he better run for reelection for the senate where he was at the Top 5 than taking his chance for the vice presidency as based on the September 2 to 5 Social Weather Station’s polls.

The third quarter +3 -3 Margin- of- Error national SWS says that for the vice presidency 27% chose Senator Grace Poe, 20% Sen. Escudero, 9% Davao City Rodrigo Duterte, 7% Senator Bongbong Marcos, 7% Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada,  5% Senator Alan Peter Cayetano,  5% Senator Loren Legarda, 4% Batangas Governor Vilma Santos,  4% Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, 3%  former Senator Panfilo Lacson,  3% Camarines Sur 3rd District Representative Leni Robredo,  2% Senator Jinggoy Estrada, and  0.9% former Manila Mayor Lito Atienza, Jr.

In the top 12 of senatorial race, the 1,200 respondents survey spread all over the country said that 54% chose Vicente Sotto III, 47% Panfilo Lacson, 43% Ralph Recto, 42%  Franklin Drilon, 40%  Bongbong Marcos and Francis Pangilinan, 33% Leila De Lima,  32% Juan Miguel Zubiri, 30% Manny Pacquiao,  29% Richard Gordon 29%, 28% Sergio Osmeña III, and 24% Mark Villar.

When asked if he has the moist eye for the vice presidency he said he has interest to run for the higher office as he and his supporters have been discussing in the past.

Recently, Marcos party mate in the Nationalista Party Senator Alan Peter Cayetano told this paper that  he mulls to run as independent vice presidential bet in case he could not find a presidential tandem in two weeks’ time.

“Will, that is why we are considering an independent run,” when asked if one of the major presidential candidates did not get him in the ticket.

Like Marcos, Cayetano is being eyed by political spectators to be running in tandem with  (UNA) presidential torch bearer Vice President Jejomar Binay or PDP-Laban presidential aspirant Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

When asked how he could wiggle out and runs for the vice presidential race amid fellow Nationalista party mates Senators Marcos and Antonio Trillanes IV nursing a desire to the same post, he said they could settle the kinks as they are closed with each other.

 “I hope we did not go our separate ways. I hope two of us withdraw from the race or run for the other post”.

He said any one of them can run against each other but he doubts if they can get the party support.

“So, ayaw kung pangunahan ang kapartido ko. But I am hoping na maging solid kami”.