Escudero is top choice for 2013 senatorial elections, says Pulse Asia survey

MANILA, Philippines—Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero has emerged as the top choice for the Senate in the survey conducted by Pulse Asia in November.

It was the first time that Escudero, according to a staff member, topped a survey in the senatorial race.

Of the 1,200 respondents nationwide polled by the Pulse Asia from November 10 to 23, 2011, 65.6 put the name of Escudero when asked who would they vote if the 2013 elections were held today. The polling firm provided 12 names to the respondent.

Senator Loren Legarda ranked second with 58 percent followed by former Senator and now Transportation Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas with 43 percent, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano with 40.3 percent, and former Vice-President Noli de Castro with 34.8 percent.

Sharing 5th to 12th places were San Juan City Representative Joseph Victor Ejercito (30.4%), Senator Gregorio Honasan (29.6%), Cagayan Representative Juan Ponce “Jackie” Enrile, Jr. (29.5%), Senator Aquilino Martin Pimentel III (29.4%) and Justice Secretary Leila M. de Lima (29.4%).

Other probable winners were also Senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV (28.7%), former Senator Juan Miguel F. Zubiri (26.9%), Aurora Province Representative Juan Edgardo M. Angara (24.3%), former Senator Ana “Jamby” Madrigal (24.0%) and former Senator Richard J. Gordon (22.1%)

The survey also included other personalities like Roxas’ wife and broadcast journalist, Korina Sanchez with 20.7 percent, popular television host Willie Revillame with 18.8 percent, former Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro with 18.1 percent, Customs Commissioner Rufino Biazon with 17.3 percent, and actor Richard Gomez with 9.2 percent, among others.

“Less than one in ten Filipinos (5.2%) does not have/refuses to name any preferred candidate for the May 2013 senatorial elections,” Pulse Asia said in a statement.

The polling firm said the survey has a ± 3 percent error margin at the 95% confidence level while the “sub-national estimates” for each of the geographic areas covered has a ± 6 percent error margin, also at 95% confidence level.

The survey was conducted at the height of the Supreme Court’s issuance of a temporary restraining order on the watch list order against former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

It was de Lima, who placed Arroyo under the government’s watch list order in connection with the electoral sabotage case filed against the former president.