Poe, Villar lead survey; Go, Dela Rosa post gains

Reelectionist Senators Grace Poe and Cynthia Villar remain the leading candidates in the senatorial race, according to results of the latest Pulse Asia survey.

A total of 67.5 percent of Filipino adults would have voted for Poe, making her No. 1 if the May elections were held in February. She was followed by Villar with 61 percent.

Between February and the previous survey in January, administration candidates Christopher “Bong” Go, a former presidential aide, and Ronald dela Rosa, a former police chief, posted the biggest gains.

Go’s voting preference jumped to 53 percent from 44.7 percent, allowing him to share the third to fifth spots with reelectionist Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara.

Dela Rosa’s voting preference increased from 36.9 percent to 44.6 percent, earning him the fifth to eighth spots.

‘Statistical chance’

Of the 62 names included in the survey, 14 candidates have a “statistical chance of winning” a Senate seat if the elections were held during the Feb. 24 to 28 survey period.

Only 37 percent supported 12 senatorial candidates as of February.

Former senators wanting to return to the Senate dominated the list of probable winners.

Lito Lapid ranked third to seventh, while Pia Cayetano was fifth to seventh.

Otso Diretso’s Roxas

Otso Diretso’s lone candidate in the winning circle, Mar Roxas, landed in eighth to 12th places.

Former Senators Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and Jinggoy Estrada also made it to the winning circle, placing eighth to 13th and 10th to 15th, respectively.

Other senators seeking reelection who made it to the winning circle were Nancy Binay (seventh to 10th) and Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III (ninth to 14th).

Reelectionist Sen. Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV fell out of the winning circle, ranking 12th to 17th.

Also making it to the list of probable winners were Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos (ninth to 14th) and former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chair Francis Tolentino (11th to 15th).

Pulse Asia polled 1,800 adults nationwide. The results had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.3 percentage points.

The respondents were asked to choose 12 from a list of 62 senatorial candidates officially named by the Commission on Elections. —Inquirer Research