Photo From Ariel Raule/THEPHILBIZNEWS
Sen. Grace Poe continues to top the survey for the upcoming Senatorial race 2019 according to a nationwide survey conducted by Pulse Asia.
Of the 66 names included in the survey, held from Sept. 1 to 7, 17 candidates, the 13 names of whom are either former or incumbent legislators would have a “statistical chance of winning” a Senate seat.
It is Interesting to note also that the survey is dominated by women candidates where Poe is on the solo top with 70.1, followed by Sen. Cynthia Villar (57.7 percent) landed in second to third places, while Taguig City Rep. Pia Cayetano (54.4 percent), a former senator, placed second to fourth, followed by Sen. Nancy Binay (50.6 percent), who ranked third to fourth. While Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, President Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter, was in fifth to sixth places with 39.5 percent.
According to the survey of Pulse Asia done from September 1 to 7 via face-to-face interviews, 70.1 percent of respondents said they will vote for Poe.
Poe who has been performing well as Senator has also got an awareness rating of 98 percent.
When asked about her reaction in the recent survey and being in the solo top, Poe said she was humbled to be the survey’s top placer and glad to see voters recognizing women as effective leaders, referring to the top five that also included Villar, Cayetano, Binay and Duterte.
“We are humbled and grateful for the continued support of our people. It is uplifting that women are being recognized as effective, decisive and compassionate leaders,” Poe said in a statement.
Angara, the highest-placed choice among men in sixth spot, said he was “grateful for the people’s continued trust.”
He said he would use the survey’s result as “inspiration in pursuing measures that would help Filipinos get better quality education, better health services, decent-paying jobs, and proper support for senior citizens.”
Other names that floated in the Senatorial race for 2019, Sen. Edgardo “Sonny” Angara Jr. (37.1 percent) ranked fifth to seventh, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada (34.6 percent), who placed sixth to 10th, Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos (32.6 percent), former Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III (32.4 percent) and former Sen. Lito Lapid (32.2 percent) shared seventh to 11th places.
Probable winners are former Sen. Sergio Osmeña (29.8 percent, eighth to 17th places), former senator and Interior Secretary Mar Roxas (27.7 percent), actor Robin Padilla (27.4 percent), former Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. (27.4 percent), Inquirer columnist Ramon Tulfo (27 percent), Bureau of Corrections chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa (27 percent) and Sen. JV Ejercito (26.7 percent).
Three of the frequently floated names in President Duterte’s Cabinet continue to lag behind.
The names of Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go ranked 22nd to 27th, presidential adviser on political affairs Francis Tolentino landed in 24th to 30th places and presidential spokesperson Harry Roque settled for 29th to 36th spots.
Meanwhile. the opposition Liberal Party is unfazed by the result of the poll according to Sen. Francis Pangilinan, the party president.
Interestingly, re-electionist Sen. Bam Aquino, its highest-ranking candidate in previous surveys, dropped out of the top 12 for the first time, placing 18th to 23rd—in a statistical tie with his first cousin Kris.Aquino attributed the slip to the inclusion in the survey of the television host-actress, saying it divided the respondents. But Kris Aquino has already confirmed that she has no interest to run for Senator in 2019.
Pangilinan believes that there are still a lot of time for the party’s candidates to catch up and make it to the winning circle.
“There have been several instances in previous elections wherein those in the top five at the start of the campaign eventually lost, while those who were trailing far behind made it,” the LP President said.
He added, “A lot can still happen. We are confident [that] come election day, more candidates of the opposition will win, including Sen. Bam Aquino and Mar Roxas and Erin Tañada and several others.”
According to Pulse Asia, ”Only 3.6 percent of Filipinos do not support any of the probable senatorial bets included in this survey probe, refuse to name their preferred senatorial candidates, or still do not know whom they will vote for in May 2019.”
