SENATOR Grace Poe took the lead in the latest Social Weather Stations survey of presidential preferences, overtaking Vice President Jejomar Binay, who led the survey during the previous polling period
The nationwide survey of 1,800 respondents was conducted from March 4 to 7, ending one day before the Supreme Court junked disqualification cases against Poe and declared her qualified to run for president.
The BusinessWorld-SWS Pre-Election Survey had Poe ahead at 27 percent, followed by Binay at 24 percent; administration standard bearer Manuel Roxas II at 22 percent; Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte at 21 percent; and Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, 4 percent. Some 2 percent of the respondents were undecided.
With sampling error of ±2 percent for national percentages, Poe and Binay were statistically tied.
In the vice presidential race, Senators Francis Escudero and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. were statistically tied for the top spot at 28 percent and 26 percent, respectively. They were followed by administration candidate Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo at 24 percent, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano at 11 percent; Senator Antonio Trillanes IV at 6 percent; and Senator Gringo Honasan, at 5 percent.
From the official list of 50 names, the 12 leaders in the senatorial race include five candidates from the Liberal Party (LP), four independents (IND), and one each from Akbayan (AKBYN), the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) and United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).
Senator Vicente Sotto III retained the top spot with 53 percent.
The candidates and their ranking were: 1. Vicente Sotto (NPC) 53 percent; 2. Panfilo Lacson (IND) 46 percent; 3. Frank Drilon (LP) 44 percent; and 4-5, Senators Ralph Recto (LP) and Francis Pangilinan (LP), each with 43 percent; 6. Miguel Zubiri (IND) 41 percent; 7. Manny Pacquiao (UNA) 38 percent; 8. Senator Sergio Osmeña III (IND) 34 percent; and 9-10. Richard Gordon (IND) and Leila De Lima (LP), each with 32 percent.
The last two seats are being contested by 11. Risa Hontiveros (AKBYN) 30 percent; 12. Senator Teofisto Guingona III (LP) 26 percent; 13. Joel Villanueva (LP) 24 percent; and 14. Francis Tolentino (IND) 23 percent.
The March 2016 Pre-Election Survey was conducted using face-to- face interviews with1,800 validated voters, 300 each in Metro Manila, North Luzon, South Luzon, Visayas, North Mindanao and South Mindanao (sampling error margins of ±2 percent for national percentages, ±6 percent each for Metro Manila, North Luzon, South Luzon, Visayas, North Mindanao and South Mindanao).
The area estimates were weighed by the 2016 Commission on Elections data on validated voters to obtain the national estimates.
The March 2016 Pre-Election Survey was the third in a series of SWS 2016 Pre-Election Surveys. The first two polls in the series was conducted over Jan. 8 to 10 and Feb. 5 to 7.
Poe said she was thankful to the Filipino people for their support in making her No. 1 in the latest SWS survey. Obtaining a three-point increase, Poe took the top spot from Vice President Jejomar Binay with her 27 percent rating. Binay lost three percentage points from the previous survey to hold 24 percent.
The Palace said the latest results showed that voters were “troubled by integrity questions” against some of the candidates.
“Despite the mudslinging and concerted attacks against the administration and its record of public service, not only has the Daang Matuwid coalition endured—but it is gaining ground as our fellow citizens continue to ask tough questions and demand concrete solutions from all the candidates,” said presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda.
Roxas said he was confident that “the one who is honest and clean will win.”
He added that the improvement of the ratings of his running mate, Robredo, showed that voters trusted her.
Robredo said she was happy that the “first-place finish” was within reach.
“This result is giving us new inspiration and energy in our advocacy, plans and programs even in the farthest areas in our country, especially those within the margins of our society,” she said.
Duterte said he was not bothered by his fourth place ranking in the survey.
“It’s good,” Duterte said in response to questions from reporters. “At the end of the day, I will be your last card.”
“I do not question survey companies. But you are not there until you are there. That has always been the rule in the elections. You are not there until you are there,” he said. With Macon Ramos-Araneta and John Paolo Bencito