The camp of presidential aspirant Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. believes that critics have actually helped the former senator maintain his lead in the surveys.
This came after Marcos Jr. supposedly emerged as a leading candidate in yet another--but lesser known--presidential survey done by Laylo Research.
"The results in the latest pre-election survey done by Laylo Research showed that the concerted efforts by Marcos' detractors had failed to sway people to their side," Marcos Jr.'s camp said in a statement Wednesday, Feb. 9, adding that it happened "notwithstanding the seemingly endless barrage of mudslinging and negative campaigning against him".
"Critics help Bongbong to widen (his) lead in surveys," it also said.
Citing a survey conducted by Laylo, Marcos Jr.'s camp said 64 percent of the 3,000 respondents surveyed from Jan. 17 to 23 chose the ex-senator as their presidential candidate.
Meanwhile, Vice President Leni Robredo, his political rival, was supposedly favored by only 16 percent of the respondents. Marcos Jr.'s camp described the figure as "a very distant second".
According to its Facebook page, Laylo Research "is a full service polling and strategic research firm specializing in political, governance, social, market and corporate research in the country".
Following yet another lead in a national poll survey, Marcos Jr.'s camp said he and his partner, vice presidential candidate Danao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, "remained humble and instead trained their focus on discussing their plans and programs directly to the people".
"Marcos has continued to affirm his position not to engage in negative campaigning amid the vicious and concerted attacks against him," it further said.