Legarda, Escudero top SWS survey

Senator Francis Escudero and Senator Loren Legarda. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Senators Loren Legarda and Francis “Chiz” Escudero remained the top choices for the Senate in 2013 based on the latest survey conducted by the Social Weather Station (SWS).

Of the 1, 200 respondents polled by the SWS from November 29, 2012 to December 03, 2012, Legarda ranked Number 1 with 68 percent followed by Escudero with 61 percent, the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) said in a statement on Wednesday.

Legarda and Escudero are running under the Liberal Party-led coalition but they are also guest candidates in UNA.

In both surveys, UNA Secretary General and Navotas Representative Tobias Tiangco noted how their candidates dominated the top 12 slots for the Senate.

“The results of both SWS and Pulse are encouraging for our candidates,” Tiangco said.

“It pushes us to work harder as we near the campaign period,” he added.

Among the UNA bets who made it in the top 12  in the  SWS survey  were  San Juan Rep. Joseph Victor “JV” C. Ejercito, who ranked 5th with 49%; Cagayan Rep. Juan Ponce “Jack” Enrile Jr, who was for the 6th-7th place with 46%; re-electionist Sen. Gregorio “Gringo” B. Honasan in  8th place with 43%; Vice President Jejomar C. Binay’s daughter Maria Lourdes Nancy S. Binay, who was tied with former senator Juan Miguel “Migz” F. Zubiri for the 9th to 10th places with 41%; and  former senator Richard “Dick” J. Gordon in 12th place with 37%.

In the Pulse Asia survey, seven out of the 12 senatorial slots in 2013 also went to the UNA candidates.