MANILA, Philippines—If the presidential elections were held today, five contenders will have a tight race for the post as they would garner about the same percentages of Filipino votes, the Pulse Asia May 2009 survey said.

Filipinos would likely vote for Vice President Noli L. De Castro (18 percent), Senator Francis G. Escudero (17 percent), former President Joseph Estrada (15 percent), Senator Manuel B. Villar, Jr. (14 percent), and Senator Manuel A. Roxas II (13 percent), said Pulse Asia's May 2009 Ulat ng Bayan national survey.

Other candidates got only 7 percent or less, namely Senators Loren Legarda, Panfilo Lacson, Richard Gordon, Manny Pangilinan, Justice Reynato Puno, Makati Mayor Jejomay Binay, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, religious leader Bro. Mike Vellarde, Bayani Fernando, and Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio.

Despite continued talks about a no-election scenario and uncertainties regarding the automation of the May 2010 elections, the level of public interest in the elections remains high as virtually all Filipinos have a preferred candidate in mind, said Pulse Asia.

However, Filipinos are still divided when it comes to their choice of their next president as shown by the results, it said.

In Metro Manila and the best-off Class ABC, Escudero topped the presidential bet with 26 percent. In Mindanao, Estrada and De Castro have almost the same voter preferences at above 20 percent, said the survey.

In the Visayas, the favored presidential candidates are Roxas (22 percent), Villar (20 percent), De Castro (18 percent), and Escudero (15 percent), while class E favors De Castro (25 percent), Estrada (19 percent), Escudero (15 percent) and Villar (13 percent).

The five presidential candidates currently leading at the national level also enjoy nearly the same levels of electoral support in the rest of Luzon and the most numerous Class D.

About one in three Filipinos is voting for his/her preferred presidential bet because of the candidate’s being helpful to others, particularly the poor and the overseas Filipino workers, said Pulse Asia.

One in 10 Filipinos chose a candidate based on his or her many accomplishments, followed by being clean or not corrupt, being a good person, and being a fighter among others.

Between February and May 2009, Roxas enjoyed 5 percentage-point improvement while Legarda had a 5 percentage-point erosion in terms of following.

The nationwide survey had 1,200 respondents from all over the country.