MANILA, Philippines ? (UPDATE) With a little more than a month before the national elections, Senator Benigno Aquino III continues to lead the candidates for president, according to the latest Pulse Asia survey.

Aquino, standard-bearer of the Liberal Party, got 37 percent of the 3,000 respondents who, in the survey from March 21-28, said they would vote for him if elections were held last month. Closest rival, Senator Manny Villar of the Nacionalista Party, is at second with 25 percent. Former president Joseph Estrada is third with 18 percent, former defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro, fourth, with seven percent; Senator Richard Gordon of Bagumbayan and Brother Eddie Villanueva of Bangon Pilipinas, with two percent each.

Other presidential candidates had voter preferences of below one percent: Nicanor Perlas, 0.3 percent; John Carlos ?JC? de los Reyes, 0.2 percent; and Senator Ana Consuelo ?Jamby? Madrigal, 0.1 percent.

About one in every 10 (9 percent) refused to name or remained undecided as to their presidential preference.

The survey used a multistage probability sample of 3,000 adults and had an error margin of plus-or-minus two percentage points.

For vice president, Aquino's runningmate, Senator Manuel "Mar" Roxas, leads the pack with 43 percent. Senator Loren Legarda is second with 23 percent and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, third with 19 percent.

The other contenders received three percent or less: former Metro Manila Development Authority chairman Bayani Fernando, two percent; Lakas-Kampi CMD?s Edu Manzano, two percent; Perfecto Yasay, one percent; and broadcaster Jay Sonza, 0.5 percent; and Dominador Chipeco, 0.1 percent.