SWS survey shows tight Villar-De Castro contest

A Social Weather Station survey released last June showed a close presidential fight between Vice President Noli de Castro and Senate President Manuel Villar for the 2010 elections.

The survey, conducted from last June 27 to 30, had De Castro in the lead with 26 percent preference, followed closely by Villar who gained 22 percent.

Next in the order of public preference were senators Loren Legarda with 12 percent, Francis Joseph Escudero with 11 percent, and Panfilo Lacson and former President Joseph Estrada with nine percent each.

Senator Manuel “Mar” A. Roxas II only got seven percent, while Sen. Richard J. Gordon had a measly 0.8 percent.

The SWS survey was the most recent presidential poll conducted, but while it had De Castro in the lead, Villar was leading De Castro in two major regions, which the survey however did not specify.

De Castro and Villar have been close peers in the powerful Wednesday Group of the Senate where De Castro once served as senator before he was elected vice president.

De Castro had earlier said that he has the highest respect and admiration for the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats, as a formidable political party, but added that talks about joining Lakas or any other party should be done at a later time. — Joy Kareen T. Saliente /RAE