FORMER government auditor and independent senatorial aspirant Heidi Mendoza yesterday admitted being surprised that she tied for 16th to 19th spot with three other candidates in the latest Publicus Asia survey covering March 15 to 20, 2025 after just five weeks into the campaign period.
“This is far more than I expected. I knew coming in this was going to be a tough battle. But I am so grateful for all of those who joined my campaign and continue to believe in me. I can’t thank you enough,” she said on her official Facebook page.
Mendoza, a former commissioner of the Commission on Audit and a former auditor for the United Nations, landed just behind political heavyweights Senator Imee Marcos who is seeking re-election, and Makati City mayor Abby Binay, who are tied at 14th and 15th spots.
She tied with lawyer Vic Rodriguez, actor Philip Salvador, and former senator Gringo Honasan, who are backed by political machineries. Rodriguez and Salvador are running under former president Rodrigo Duterte’s PDP-Laban, while Honasan is carried by Reform PH – People’s Party.
Despite overtures for possible alliances with other unaligned candidates, Mendoza has opted to continue to campaign as an independent.
However, she has benefited from endorsements from the 1Sambayan Coalition, former vice president Leni Robredo, former Liberal Party senators Kiko Pangilinan and Bam Aquino, and incumbent Sen. Risa Hontiveros.
Mendoza acknowledged that her campaign is hobbled by lack of funds for TV advertisements and political machinery even as she exhorted her supporters to harness social media platforms.
“We have too few tarps and banners yet public awareness is spreading. What we have to work on is preference. It’s tough because there are so many candidates and we do not have a PR firm. But as long as you are with me, we have a chance at this,” she said.
Mendoza may have another ace up her sleeve however, based on her consistent high ranking in various university mock polls in the past two months even in the Visayas and Mindanao which she has yet to visit.
Most recently, she placed third in the Far Eastern University mock elections and fourth in the De La Salle University undergraduate mock election. Both results were released during the weekend.
