Four mayoralty candidates in their respective cities in Metro Manila have widened their lead over their competitors with less than a month before the May 9 polls, a recent survey conducted by the HKPH Public Opinion and Research Center in partnership with the Hong Kong-based Asia Research Center showed.
Based on the survey, if elections were held this month, the following candidates would be runaway winners in their respective highly urbanized cities: John Rey Tiangco (Mayor- Navotas), Joy Belmonte (Mayor- Quezon City), Along Malapitan (Mayor-Caloocan) and Ruffy Biazon (Mayor- Muntinlupa).
Tiangco, who will switch positions with his brother, incumbent Mayor Toby Tiangco, got 87 percent in voter preference rating as against RC Cruz who got 11 percent.
Belmonte, who is seeking re-election, garnered 65 percent of the vote against Rep. Mike Defensor’s 22 percent.
Malapitan, who is succeeding his father, secured a 75 percent voter preference rating. His closest opponent, Rep. Egay Erice, got 23 percent.
Biazon, a veteran legislator, is the preferred candidate to be the next mayor of Muntinlupa City, with 73 percent of the respondents choosing him over Red Mariñas who scored 20 percent.
Other candidates for mayor who are projected to breeze through the elections are Mel Aguilar (90 percent) of Las Piñas, Abby Binay (93 percent) of Makati, Emi Calixto-Rubiano (91 percent) of Pasay, Marcy Teodoro (58 percent) of Marikina, Vico Sotto (65 percent) of Pasig, Ike Ponce (88 percent) of Pateros, Francis Zamora (95 percent) of San Juan, former Comelec chairman Ben Abalos (93 percent) of Mandaluyong, Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna (55 percent) of Manila, Rep. Eric Olivarez (82 percent) of Parañaque, Rep.. Lani Cayetano (74 percent) of Taguig, and Rep. Wes Gatchalian (96 percent) of Valenzuela.
The non-commissioned survey had 5,000 registered voters as respondents, with a margin of error of +/- 1 percent.