Clear campaign message brought Duterte to top: analyst

Magno Ardenia, ABS-CBN News

Posted at 12 Apr 2016 04:34 PM

A political analyst believes Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is now leading the presidential race, largely due to his clear and consistent campaign chant: change.

Political science professor Dennis Coronacion said Duterte's promises on solving peace and order problems and the formation of a federal government appeal to voters, many of whom are clamoring for change.

Duterte has claimed a solo lead in the March 30 to April 2 Social Weather Station survey and the March 29 to April 3 Pulse Asia survey commissioned by ABS-CBN.

"I think it’s going to be about change. If we’re going to take into account what’s happening to the Duterte campaign, people are clamoring for change and a certain candidate, and that’s Duterte, fits well what people are looking for,” he said.

READ: Duterte overtakes Poe, claims lead in ABS-CBN survey

Coronacion said voters understand Duterte's simple campaign message, which also shows a "strong and decisive government."

“I think people are beginning to understand the message of Duterte, the leading candidate in the surveys, I think we are beginning to see that more and more Filipinos are yearning for a different leader,” he said.

“People are clamoring for a kind of leader who can decide quickly and that’s the kind of leadership that Duterte is offering,” he added.

This, contrary to what he said as a "soft government" portrayed by Senator Grace Poe, who in the latest surveys placed second.

“Maybe it’s because of the strength of the message conveyed by Duterte, it resonates with people, the people understand his message very well unlike Grace Poe, although she did well in the presidential debates, but the image that she created so far she’s a soft candidate,” he said.

He said Poe needs to sharpen her messaging of what "gobyernong may puso [government with a heart]" means, clearly stating her plans in resolving the pressing issues the administration is facing.

"What she can do is to probably take a look at her campaign strategy, she should come up with a clear message as to the content of her campaign, short of saying 'don't be vague,' 'try to clear up what you're trying to tell the voters'," Coronacion said.

"Kasi si Duterte he has been clear, 'In three to six year-time I can solve the problem of crime, perhaps in two years or a year's time I can solve the traffic situation,' so he's been very clear and he even said part of his peace and order solution is federalism, Grace Poe has no such kind of message so at this point she's still vague," he added.