Bankers, analysts pick Grace Poe for next president—survey

Sen. Grace Poe. FILE PHOTO

Senator Grace Poe has topped another survey for potential presidential candidates in 2016, this time on some of the country’s bankers and financial analysts.

Despite keeping mum on her plans to run for higher office in 2016, Poe was chosen by 12 of 23 respondents in Bloomberg Business poll done in June.

Four respondents picked Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, while three chose embattled Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Jonathan Ravelas, chief market strategist for BDO-Unibank Inc., said the people perceived Poe as willing to continue the anti-corruption drive started by President Benigno Aquino III.

“The next president has to have the will to stop corruption and boost infrastructure. In the case of Grace Poe, people perceive her as honest, somebody who will protect the anti-corruption drive,” Ravelas was quoted as saying.

The poll showed that the next administration should also focus on “infrastructure investment” while safeguarding the anti-corruption drive.

More than half of the respondents said that the Philippine economy was set to expand at least six percent in the next 10 years.

Poe also topped the latest presidential surveys of Pulse Asia and the Social Weather Stations last month, dislodging Binay, the long-time frontrunner of surveys.

Aside from leading presidential surveys, the neophyte senator was also the preferred vice presidential candidate by respondents in the SWS opinion poll.

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