Mayor Garcia elated with survey result, hopes to sustain momentum until polls

Local

WITH a few days left before the May 12 elections, Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia is banking on continued voter support and strong grassroots campaigning to secure a full slate victory, including his election bid.

Garcia expressed gratitude for the public’s trust and confidence in him, as reflected in a recent voter preference survey.

“Well, I thank the Cebuanos for their trust and confidence in me. And I hope that this will carry on until Monday, which is election day—both local and national,” Garcia told reporters.

He was referring to the May 6 Voters’ Preference and Perspectives Survey conducted by the Department of Political Science at the University of San Carlos (USC), which showed him leading the mayoral race with 35 percent support among 1,306 registered voters across 80 barangays.

Garcia’s closest rivals, Councilor Nestor Archival and former mayor Michael Rama, garnered 28 percent and 21 percent support, respectively.

The same USC survey also showed former mayor Tomas Osmeña leading the vice mayoral race with 38 percent support, followed by incumbent Vice Mayor Dondon Hontiveros with 29 percent, and Garcia’s running mate, former Metropolitan Cebu Water District chair Joey Daluz, with 23 percent.

For the congressional races, incumbents Cutie Del Mar (North District) and Edu Rama (South District) remained the leading candidates.

The survey also examined voters’ opinions on key political issues, including the impeachment of the Vice President.

Respondents said they want elected officials to prioritize health services, social welfare, public safety, and livelihood programs. They also value candidates with clear platforms and clean records.

USC researchers, however, cautioned that the results may not reflect actual outcomes on election day.

“Voter preferences and perspectives may change due to current events, campaign developments, endorsements by national figures, or external factors such as vote buying and other election-related activities,” they noted.

Meanwhile, during a media forum on Wednesday, May 7, Garcia dismissed the recent disqualification case filed against him before the Office of the Ombudsman, calling it a “desperate move” by his opponents following the independent survey results that showed him leading the race.

“Ang punuan nga daghang bunga maoy batuon—or whoever is the frontrunner is the target,” Garcia said.

He clarified, however, that he has yet to receive an official copy of the complaint.

The mayor also pointed out that this is already the 10th disqualification case filed against him—nine of which have been dismissed by the Ombudsman.

“I’m not surprised. It’s political season—this is their strategy to bring me down,” he said.(TGP)