Roxas beat Binay in latest poll–Erice
More than a month after receiving President Aquino’s endorsement, Liberal Party (LP) presidential standard-bearer Mar Roxas is finally moving up in the polls, according to Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice.
In a phone interview on Saturday, Erice, the LP policial affairs chief, said that based on a preview of the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, Roxas had surged to second place, overtaking Vice President Jejomar Binay and behind Sen. Grace Poe.
READ: Roxas tops LP-commissioned presidential survey
Erice said Roxas made the biggest jump among the three presidential hopefuls in the SWS survey, which asked respondents to name their top three choices for president in the 2016 elections.
He said Roxas improved his rating by double digits while Poe and Binay made slight gains.
The SWS conducted the survey earlier this month. It was the third in a series of pick-three surveys. All other polls ask respondents to choose only one candidate. BusinessWorld will publish the full results tomorrow.
Team to beat
With Roxas’ numbers finally picking up, Erice expressed confidence the LP and its coalition partners would be the “team to beat” in the 2016 elections.
“Mar Roxas is gaining momentum at the right time and we expect the LP and its allies to remain stronger and become even bigger with our standard-bearer gaining more ground,” he said.
He said reports that LP members were defecting to Poe or Binay were untrue.
The LP’s allies, he said, have not yet decided whom to support in the 2016 elections despite reports that its three biggest allies—the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), Nacionalista Party (NP) and National Unity Party (NUP)—were in talks to form a coalition and support Poe.
No slot for Romulo
If at all, Erice said the biggest name the LP would lose would be Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo, who has been seen at Poe’s events.
“I don’t think he (Romulo) will leave the LP because he believes in Poe, he is leaving because there is simply no [spot] for him in our senatorial slate,” Erice said.
In a text message, Romulo, who is serving his third and final term, said he had not yet decided on his political plans for 2016.
Name names
“So whether or not I have a spot on whatever slate isn’t a consideration on whom to support,” Romulo said, pointing out that it was only recently that Erice himself had declared that he [Romulo] was on the LP senatorial slate.
“I am supporting Grace Poe not because of expedience but because of conviction. We share the same ideals and have stood together on the same issues. I believe she is the best candidate for the highest office in the land,” Romulo said.
Erice challenged Poe’s and Binay’s allies to identify the LP members they expect to switch to their side.
“What they are peddling [is] rumors. We have names that have already switched to our side,” Erice said.
Among the lawmakers who recently switched to the LP, according to Erice, are Isabela Rep. Anna Go (from the NP), Valenzuela Rep. Magtanggol Gunigundo (from NUP), Pangasinan Rep. Leopoldo Bataoil (from NPC), Camiguin Rep. Xavier Jesus Romualdo (from NPC), Southern Leyte Rep. Damian Mercado (from NPC), former Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman (from Lakas), Camarines Norte Rep. Catherine Barcelona-Reyes (from NUP), former Camarines Norte Rep. Renato J. Unico Jr., Bulacan Rep. Gavini Pancho (from NUP), Ilocos Sur Rep. Eric Singson (from Lakas), and La Union Rep. Victor Ortega (from NPC).
Running mate for Roxas
Erice also cited several governors who recently swore allegiance to the LP—Southern Leyte Gov. Roger Mercado (from NPC), Catanduanes Gov. Araceli Wong (from NUP) and Bulacan Gov. Wilhelmino M. Sy-Alvarado (from NUP).
Erice said he was optimistic that Roxas would continue to improve his numbers and attract more political support with his announcement of his running mate by Sept. 28.
He said the post was Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo’s to decline, as the LP was just waiting for her consent before the party formally nominates her.
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