Former Murcia Mayor Esteban “Sonny” Coscolluela said on Tuesday, April 12, that presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is a sure win in the May 9 polls, it will take a miracle for Leni Robredo to defeat him.
“If they are so confident of victory, maybe they should stop the intimidation, threats and dirty tactics being used against our volunteers, unless that’s the reason why they’re so confident,” his first cousin former Gov. Rafael “Lito” Coscolluela, who heads the Robredo campaign in Negros, said in response.
“I am appealing to all, let’s campaign on the basis of issues and credentials, and not resort to bullying tactics, black propaganda and fake news. And premature claims only remind me of Sun Tzu’s famous advice: Appear strong when you are weak, and weak when you are strong,” the former governor said.
Esteban Coscolluela, who is the spokesperson for Marcos in Negros, on the other hand, claimed exit polls of Filipinos voting abroad show Marcos leading by 94 to 98 percent.
Exit polls are more or less very accurate, in fact they are more accurate than pre-election surveys, the former mayor said.
He also cited a headline story of a national newspaper that reported that it will take a miracle for Robredo to win.
“The BBM group will respect whoever wins because it is the Lord who will eventually determine who will sit as president of the Republic of the Philippines,” he said.
“The Bible says whoever is the king is appointed by the Lord,” he added.
He said while the elections are very heated, arguments and hate politics should end after May 9. “Each and everyone should respect and be united with the eventual winner,” he said.
Asked if they would respect a Robredo win, Esteban Coscolluela said “for as long as there is no cheating”.
However, he does not see how Marcos’ lead can be overturned with less than a month left before the May 9 polls, the former mayor said.
The Robredo house-to-house campaign should have been done earlier, “this is too late, people have made up their minds,” he said.
They may be wasting their time, it might make sense for them to throw in the towel, he added.
Marcos has rock star popularity plus a local organization from the vice governor all the way down to the mayors in Negros, and he is the best among the lot, Coscolluela said.
“We do not do hate politics… after the May 9 polls we will still be relatives and friends,” he added.*