MANILA, Philippines – He is ready for victory.
After casting his vote early Monday, May 9, Vice President Jejomar Binay said he has a victory speech ready. "Kagabi inihanda ko na victory speech ko dahil sa tingin ko, talagang nakita ninyo sa mga nakasama ko sa pag-iikog-ikot eh talagang mananalo tayo."
(Last night, I prepared my victory speech because I think, and even you can attest to that during our sorties, that we will win.)
Binay talked to reporters over breakfast at his Makati City home, after he cast his vote.
Once the front runner in presidential preference surveys, Binay saw his numbers dropped early this year in the wake of corruption allegations against him and his family. He managed to recover after the campaign period began in February 2016, but suffered a drop again after the 3 presidential debates.
Binay is behind Rodrigo Duterte, Grace Poe and Manuel "Mar" Roxas, according to latest polls.
But his camp insisted that his own political machinery will spell the difference on Monday. It's the same machinery that beat Roxas in their bitter rivalry for the vice presidential post in 2010.
Former interior secretary Ronaldo Puno, campaign strategist of Binay, said their own internal survey "is good."
Asked how Binay can catch up with the poll front runner Rodrigo Duterte, who has a 30%-plus rating, Puno said, “We will see how that goes but we’re confident that with our field organization, the parallel groups, that we’re going to be able to bring it across the line.” – Rappler.com