MANILA, Philippines?As their next President, voters will be choosing a candidate who is principled, tested in serving the country, courageous, has a good plan for the country, and is pro-poor, according to a survey conducted by a Makati-based private polling firm.

StratPOLLS, which belongs to the ALC Group of Companies owned by former Ambassador Antonio Cabangon Chua, Tuesday released the results of the survey on the qualifications that voters would be looking for in a President in May.

The survey, conducted on Jan. 16-22, had 2,400 respondents in 30 key cities nationwide. It was not commissioned by any candidate or political party, said Alfredo S. Sureta Jr., StratPOLLS executive director

It had a margin of error of 2.2 percent.

A presidential candidate who is ?principled,? ?tested in serving the country,? ?courageous,? ?has a good plan for the country? and ?pro-poor? topped the qualifications that voters want, Sureta said.

Voters? preference

Sureta said that based on this criteria, the respondents were asked whom they prefer from among a list of eight candidates.

Thirty-six percent of the respondents said the descriptions would fit Sen. Benigno Aquino III, standard-bearer of the Liberal Party.

Twenty-six percent of the respondents went for Sen. Manuel ?Manny? Villar of the Nacionalista Party; 15 percent for former President Joseph Estrada; and 11 percent for former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro of the administration?s Lakas-Kampi-CMD coaltion.

Aquino?s being the son of martyred former Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. and the late President Corazon Aquino did not seem to matter at all, Sureta noted.

Being the ?scion of a former president? was the least chosen among the 10 qualifications at only 4 percent, the survey showed.

The other descriptions listed were ?good administrator,? ?good speaker/debater,? ?popular,? and ?successful businessman.?

?Principled person? garnered 62 percent.

Asked what issues would influence their choice of president, the respondents cited cheating in the 2004 and 2007 elections, anomalies and corruption in the government, unemployment and high prices of basic items were among their priority concerns.

The other issues were increase in prices of gasoline products, terrorism, population explosion, drugs/crimes/peace and order and peace talks.

Sureta stressed that the results did not indicate who was going to win in May. ?There is no trend yet. Some candidates are catching up,? he said.

Sureta noted that Villar, Estrada, Teodoro and Gordon had gained points, while Aquino had remained ?stagnant.?

?The intensity of the ads could explain the gains,? he said.

Improved ratings

In the StratPOLLS survey conducted in September last year, Aquino led with 36 percent, followed by Villar, 20 percent; Estrada, 11 percent; Teodoro, 5 percent; Sen. Richard Gordon, 2 percent; evangelist Eddie Villanueva, 1 percent; Sen. Jamby Madrigal, 0.5 percent; and JC de los Reyes, 0.25 percent.

In the latest polls, Gordon?s rating rose to 5 percent; Villanueva, 4 percent; and Madrigal, 1 percent.

Aquino was the preferred choice in all regions, registering the highest rating in Metro Manila with 40 percent and among the poorest (Class E) with 43 percent.

His running mate, Sen. Mar Roxas, was also the top choice for vice president with 47 percent. His closest rival, Sen. Loren Legarda, obtained 25 percent.

According to JobStreet.com, StratPOLLS is a sister company of dwIZ radio station, Home Radio, Business Mirror and Graphic.