Duterte is new frontrunner in SWS poll

Presidential candidate Davao mayor Rodrigo Duterte INQUIRER PHOTO/RAFFY LERMA

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has edged out poll frontrunner Senator Grace Poe in the first quarter survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

The results, which were first published on BusinessWorld early Monday, revealed that 27 percent of respondents preferred the tough-talking Duterte.

The survey was conducted last March 30 to April 2 through face-to-face interviews with 1,500 adults.

Duterte distanced himself from his rivals as Poe fell to second place with 23 percent. With a margin of error of +/-3, the neophyte senator is “statistically-tied” with Vice President Jejomar Binay at 20 percent.

Administration bet and former Interior secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II was at third place with 18 percent.

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago remained in last place with three percent.

Duterte was up by four points, from 23 percent in early March, when the last face-to-face survey was done.

Comparison to mobile survey

However, his rating was down four points if compared to the last SWS-Bilang Pilipino Mobile survey.

READ: Binay, Roxas slip in latest SWS poll; Duterte, Poe tied in 2nd

Poe, the former frontrunner, saw her number dip from 29 percent last March 8 to 11. However, in the SWS-Bilang Pilipino survey, she was in first place with a preference rating of 34 percent.

Binay’s rating also decreased by two points from the 22 percent he obtained last March 8 to 11.

In the SWS-Bilang Pilipino mobile survey, Binay placed third with Roxas at 17 percent.

Roxas saw his number decrease by 1 percent–from 19 percent in early March.

Santiago, on the other hand, remained steady at 3 percent.

The poll was conducted after the first presidential debate conducted by GMA 7 and Philippine Daily Inquirer and the release of the Supreme Court’s ruling clearing the way for Poe to pursue her presidential bid. KS

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