Roxas downplays improved rating

Interior Secretary Mar Roxas. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines‎–Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II downplayed the rise in his presidential voter preference rating.

“Hindi ko binibigyan ng masyadong pansin ang survey na ‘yan dahil nakatutok tayo sa ating trabaho,” Roxas said ‎on Tuesday after the  Liga ng mga Barangay assembly in Davao City.

(I did not really pay attention to that survey because I was focused on my work.)

Roxas said he would only focus his attention on preparing for disasters, bottom-up budgeting, eradicating corruption and cleansing the ranks of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Roxas is said to be President Benigno Aquino III’s preferred successor and the rumored standard bearer of the Liberal Party in the upcoming 2016 elections.

Although still on the top of the list, Vice President Jejomar Binay saw a 10-percentage point dip in his latest Pulse Asia survey rating.

But despite placing second, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary’s rating increased by six percentage points.

‎Of the 15 potential presidential candidates, Binay, Roxas and Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago (11 percent from 7 percent) topped the survey.

Santiago is followed by Senator Grace Poe (10 percent from 12 percent), Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada (10 percent from 9 percent), Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero (5 percent from 7 percent), Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (4 percent from 5 percent), former Vice President Noli de Castro (3 percent), and former Senator Richard Gordon (2 percent from 1 percent).

Former Senator Panfilo Lacson, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, Camarines Sur Representative Leni Robredo and detained Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla each got 1 percent.

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