Binay still tops survey; Poe 2nd

MANILA, Philippines - Vice President Jejomar Binay remained the most preferred candidate for the 2016 presidential election, according to the latest Pulse Asia’s electoral survey.

Binay’s score in the March 2015 survey slightly improved to 29 percent from 26 percent in November last year.

Sen. Grace Poe came in second with 14 percent; followed by former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte with 12 percent each.

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago obtained nine percent, followed by Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. with six percent.

Interior and Local Government Sec. Manuel Roxas II and Sen. Francis Escudero received four points each from seven percent and six percent in November 2014, respectively.

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano got three points, while Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV obtained two points.

Former senators Panfilo Lacson and Richard Gordon received one percent each.

The Pulse Asia’s latest electoral survey was conducted from March 1 to 7, using face-to-face interviews of 1,200 Filipino adults.

Binay elated

Joey Salgado, Binay’s spokesman for media affairs, said the result of the Pulse Asia’s Ulat ng Bayan survey showed the people’s continued trust and unwavering support for the Vice President.

Salgado said it also reaffirms the people’s desire for a competent and experienced leader to lead the country forward.

“Despite the never ending attacks by political opponents on the accomplishments of the Vice President, the people have come to understand and accept that all these are just loose allegations without any basis in fact and in law,” he said.

Salgado said Binay was grateful for the results of the latest electoral survey of Pulse Asia and he would remain focused on his work to address the growing needs and welfare of Filipinos.

Meanwhile, the same survey showed that Poe remained the top choice of voters as the next vice president, leading the poll with 29 percent.

Poe is followed by Escudero with 16 percent and Cayetano with 13 percent.

Duterte and Marcos obtained 11 percent each; followed by Trillanes with six percent.

Detained Sen. Jinggoy Estrada was voted by four percent of the respondents; followed by Senate President Franklin Drilon with three percent.

Sen. Ramon Revilla, Jr., who is also detained facing corruption charges, received two percent of the votes. He is followed by Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo with 0.4 percent.

The Senate race

Sen. Vicente Sotto III and Lacson were ranked 1st and 2nd in the survey with 59.3 percent each; followed by Marcos with 47.2 percent (ranked third to sixth places).

Former senator Francis Pangilinan obtained 44.7 percent; followed by Drilon with 44.1 percent; Sen. Ralph Recto with 43.9 percent; former senator Juan Miguel Zubiri with 40.2 percent.

Pangilinan, Drilon and Recto occupied the 3rd to 7th places, while Zubiri was ranked 4th to 10th.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and Sen. Sergio Osmeña III obtained 36 percent each. Former senator Richard Gordon got 35.5 percent.