‘Hard work, prayer and FPJ’s legacy’ behind rise in senatorial surveys — Poe

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Grace Poe owes her continued rise in the senatorial surveys to “hard work, prayer and the legacy of her father.”

Poe, daughter of the late actor Fernando Poe Jr. (FPJ) and veteran actress  Susan Roces, emerged as  the  voters’ top  choice for senator   based on the  Pulse Asia survey conducted from Dec. 14 to 21.

“We are humbled by the unwavering support of our kababayan. This will serve both as an inspiration and challenge to continue working hard, grateful to the people for giving us the chance to help make lives a little better,” she said in a statement on Wednesday.

Poe topped the survey with 75.6 percent, followed  by Sen. Cynthia Villar with 66.6 percent.

READ: Poe tops Pulse Asia survey on 2019 Senate hopefuls

Like Poe, Senator Sonny Angara said he was also “humbled” and “elated”  after getting the third to fourth spot in the survey with Taguig Rep. Pia Cayetano.

Angara received   58.5 percent voter percentage while Cayetano got 55.4 percent.

“I am elated and humbled by the latest Pulse Asia survey results. My heartfelt thanks to the public for their continued trust and confidence,” Angara said in a separate statement.

However, Angara said the survey would not “distract” him from pursuing his main agenda of “institutionalizing programs that will improve education, job generation and health services.”

With or without the survey, he said, he will still pursue his  projects to benefit the youth and the country.

“May survey man o wala, itutuloy po natin ang alagang Angara para sa ikabubuti ng ating mga kababayan at ng bansa,” he said.

Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, who gained the seventh spot in the survey, said he was “glad” to be included in the survey but noted that he will not use “television exposure” in his campaign.

“I am glad to be ranking although I have no TV exposure (advertisement) as of the moment,” Pimentel said in another statement.

He said he would continue to explain to voters what his plans are as well as the plan of his party, the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).  /muf