Poe, Villar ecstatic over survey lead

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/LYN NOVENCIDO

MANILA, Philippines — Senators Grace Poe and Cynthia Villar said Tuesday they were elated and grateful over their lead in the latest Pulse Asia survey.

In the survey conducted from April 10 to 14, the two emerged as the voters’ top choices for senator, with 51.7 and 50.5 percent of votes, respectively.

READ: Poe, Villar share lead in Pulse Asia senatorial survey for April

Villar said she owed her high ranking in the survey to her livelihood projects.

“Ako po ay nagagalak sa resulta ng Pulse Asia Survey na nagpapakita na maraming Pilipino ang nagsasabing ako ang unang una nilang iboboto para Senador ng Pilipinas,” she said in a statement on Tuesday.

(I am elated over the result of the Pulse Asia survey which shows that I am the first choice of many Filipino voters for senator.)

“Ako po ay nagpapasalamat sa kanila, marahil nagugustuhan nila akong iboto dahil nagugustuhan nila iyong mga proyekto kong itinatayo para sa hanap buhay (I thank them for their support. They probably liked the livelihood projects that I implemented),” she said.

Villar promised to continue working to provide more jobs for Filipinos if she gets reelected in the Senate in the upcoming polls.

Poe, meanwhile, thanked those who continue to trust and support her even if she does not belong to any political group.

READ: Poe thanks supporters for latest Pulse Asia survey ranking

“Ako’y nagpapasalamat sa tiwala ng ating mga kababayan. Bagamat wala akong partido, nananatili pa rin tayo sa isip ng marami,” said Poe, an independent candidate.

(I am thankful for the support of our kababayan [fellow Filipinos]. Although I do not have a political party, I remain in the many voters’ minds.)

“Patuloy pa rin ang ating pag iikot at pag lalahad ng plataporma para sa ikabubuti ng ating bayan (We will continue to go around to bring our message and our political platform to the people),” she added in a separate statement.

In an interview in Laguna, Poe underscored the need to have more women in the Senate, noting that there are only six female senators in chamber at present. They are Poe, Villar, Nancy Binay, Loren Legarda, Risa Hontiveros, and Leila De Lima.

Poe, Villar, and Binay are seeking another term in the May polls while Legarda, whose term will expire in June, is running for a seat in the House of Representatives.

“Alam mo naman ang mga kababaihan, marami rin naman tayong nais isulong na makakatulong rin sa ating mga pamilya, ating mga pangangailangan sa trabaho, pagdating na rin sa pag-alaga ng pangangailangan ng ating mga kababayan (As women, we want to help our families and other women who need jobs and opportunities. We would like to contribute to helping our fellow Filipinos),” she said. /ee