BAYBAY CITY, Leyte — Six out of ten Visayas State University students would want Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to be president.
This was according the mock poll conducted by VSU’s student publication Amaranth during the general assembly of students on March 3, 2016, Thursday.
Duterte enjoyed a wide lead with 60.8% of the votes. Senator Grace Poe followed far behind with 19.8%. Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, usually a top choice in university polls, got only 10.8%. Vice President Jejomar Binay, the only presidential candidate to visit the university so far, fared poorly with 4.8%. Former DILG Secretary Mar Roxas came in last at 3.8%.
“I would like (Duterte) to push federalism in the Philippines. Duterte is already 70 so let’s give him a chance to be the President. Grace Poe is young, she can still run for the next presidential elections,” says Joramay Morales, a senior development communication student.
“I want the whole Philippines to be like Davao, because the people there are disciplined,” says Rodel Alvarado, development education. “He will abolish drug and corruption. I would like those things to happen.”
But John Vincent Nogra, an agriculture senior, fears a Duterte presidency: “If Duterte wins, he will give power to the police and military. Meanwhile, Miriam (Santiago) is just and fair, things have to go through processes before deciding. Duterte wants to instill fear in people, and this will possibly lead to a dictatorship.”
No clear winner for VP
Meanwhile, it was a tight race for vice president among four candidates: Senator Chiz Escudero and (25.7%) Senator Alan Cayetano (24.4%) led a bit while Senator Bongbong Marcos (21.6%) and Representative Leni Robredo (21.5%) were locked in a tie.
Senator Antonio Trillanes and Senator Gringo Honasan far behind at 5.5% and 1.3%, respectively.
A total of 1140 students participated in the poll which asked, “If the elections were held today, who would you vote for President? for Vice President?”
Eastern Visayas, Duterte-land?
In another poll among campus journalists in Eastern Visayas schools, Duterte scored overwhelmingly, while Marcos leads in the VP race.
Duterte has his roots on his mother’s side in Maasin, Southern Leyte, while Bongbong’s mother Imelda Romualdez-Marcos traces her roots in Tolosa, Leyte.
The Visayas State University in Baybay City, Leyte has roughly 8,000 undergraduate students in its main campus. Its students come from Eastern Visayas and other nearby provinces.
Trends among colleges
While Duterte was the consistent poll winner throughout the eight colleges in the main campus, some candidates saw higher votes in specific colleges.
Sen. Santiago, whose university average is 10.8%, got around higher votes in the Colleges of Veterinary Medicine (23.2%), Arts & Sciences (26.1%), and Nursing (28.6%).
Sen. Poe got 10% higher than average at the College of Engineering, while Roxas got his highest (6.2%), although still low, from the College of Education.