Villar closes in on Noli - SWS

MANILA, Philippines – Former Senate president Manuel Villar has narrowed the lead of Vice President Noli de Castro in the latest survey on presidential hopefuls for the 2010 elections.

The number of Filipinos who prefer Villar as the next president went up by three points from 25 percent in June to 28 in September, based

on the Social Weather Stations (SWS) third quarter survey for 2008.

In the survey taken by Pulse Asia in October, Villar’s score went up by five percent to 17 percent from its last survey in July.

De Castro, however, remained the top choice to succeed President Arroyo in 2010 in both surveys.

Villar and former President Joseph Estrada tied in second place with 17 percent; followed by Senators Francis Escudero, 15 percent and Loren Legarda at 13 percent, based on the Pulse Asia survey conducted from Oct. 14 to 27.

At sixth place was Sen. Panfilo Lacson with seven percent, Sen. Manuel Roxas II with six percent, and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Bayani Fernando and evangelist Bro. Eduardo “Eddie” Villanueva at one percent each.

Pulse Asia’s survey used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 representative adults aged 18 years old and above.

De Castro also topped the SWS September survey with 29 percent, lower than his June score at 31.

Villar came in close second with 28 percent followed by Legarda at 26 percent.

The non-commissioned survey, fielded over Sept. 24 to 27, used face-to-face interviews of 1,500 adults in Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Lacson was fourth with 17 percent, followed by Sen. Francis Escudero (16 percent), Estrada (13 percent), and Roxas also at 13 percent.

Mrs. Arroyo remained the choice of one percent of the respondents along with Fernando.

Also at one percent are Senators Antonio Trillanes IV, Juan Ponce Enrile, Francis Pangilinan, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Richard Gordon, Jinggoy Estrada, Jamby Madrigal and Pia Cayetano, and former Speaker Jose de Venecia.

Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. both received 0.5 percent.

Nine percent of the respondents could not give any answer and nine percent had no one to recommend, the SWS said.

The scores of former president Estrada and Lacson also improved by two points and one point, respectively.

The mere mention of Legarda’s and Roxas’ names, however, was steady.

In the survey, the respondents were asked who are good leaders who should succeed President Arroyo in 2010.

The respondents were allowed to give up to three names of presidential contenders.