Senatorial candidate and Sorsogon Governor Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Thursday thanked the influential religious group Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) for supporting his bid to return to the Senate in the upcoming May 2022 elections.
Escudero personally thanked the INC’s leader Eduardo V. Manalo for endorsing his senatorial bid. The INC, which has about three million members, has been known for its bloc-voting policy during the national and local elections.
“Ang inyong suporta sa aking kandidatura at sa inyong pagtitiwala sa aking kakayahan, karanasan, at karunungan bilang isang lingkod-bayan ay nagsisilbing inspirasyon sa akin upang pagbutihin pa ang aking tungkulin kung sakaling ako’y muling mahalal sa Senado (Your support to my bid, and your trust in my capability, experience and knowledge as a public servant will serve as my inspiration to fulfill my mandate should I win a seat again in the Senate),” Escudero said.
Meanwhile, Escudero continues to top various election surveys, especially the latest non-commissioned “Pulso ng Pilipino” survey conducted by The Issues and Advocacy Center, ranking him 1st to 2nd place among more than 60 candidates vying for 12 seats in the Senate.
The results of the pre-election survey was conducted from April 4-15 nationwide. It showed that 58 percent of the 2,440 respondets polled from all socio-economic classes aged 18-65 years old, said they would vote for Escudero.
Per region, the veteran lawmaker was the number one pick for senator in the National Capital Region (NCR) at 67 percent, as well as in the entire Luzon at 63 percent.
Escudero was also a top favorite in the Visayas (60 percent) and Mindanao (40 percent), based on survey results.
The Center said the opinion poll has a margin of error of +/- 3 percent.
If elected to the Senate anew, Escudero said he would focus on pushing for legislation that would give more autonomy to local government units (LGUs), ensure the judicious and prudent utilization of the annual budget, and help transition the pandemic-weary economy to recovery, among others.