Binay, Poe tied in latest SWS poll

MANILA, Philippines  — Vice President Jejomar Binay and Sen. Grace Poe turned out as the top contenders for the 2016 presidential race, according to the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released on Wednesday.

Binay and Poe both scored 26 percent in the survey conducted from December 12 to 14.

Poe welcomed the results of the latest poll despite the Commission on Elections en banc decision to disqualify her from the presidential race.

"I accept with gratitude and humility the latest SWS survey results.  I will continue to make the rounds all over the country, reach out to the people on the ground, and make known how the leadership we are offering would make the government genuinely work for them," Poe said.

In a separate statement on Wednesday, the presidential hopeful insisted she is still a candidate for the presidency and she will elevate the disqualification case to the Supreme Court.

In the September SWS survey, Binay, Poe and Liberal Party standard-bearer Manuel "Mar" Roxas II were statistically tied with 26 percent, 24 percent and 20 percent, respectively.

Roxas ranked third in the latest survey with 22 percent, followed by Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte with 20 percent. Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago scored 4 percent.

Meanwhile, Sen. Francis "Chiz" Escudero topped the vice presidential survey with 30 percent.

Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo are tied in the second place with 19 percent.

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano got a rating of 17 percent while Sen. Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan II scored 8 percent.

Binay, meanwhile, regained the top spot in the latest Pulse Asia survey released on Tuesday. Duterte topped the presidential survey among Metro Manila residents conducted last November.