Poe, Escudero lead SWS vice presidential survey

Senators Grace Poe and Francis Chiz Escudero forge their partnership for the 2016 elections. RYAN LEAGOGO/INQUIRER.net

If the elections were held in September, Filipinos would vote for most likely vote for Senators Grace Poe or Francis “Chiz” Escudero, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) poll.

The survey, conducted among 1,200 respondents from September 2 to 5, showed that 25 percent wanted Poe as vice president while 18 percent wanted Escudero.

The poll was administered before Poe and Escudero declared their bid for the presidency and the vice presidency, respectively. This means Escudero would most likely lead the race if elections were held now.

READ: It’s official: Grace Poe, Chiz Escudero to run together in 2016

Tailing behind are Senator Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos and former Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas with six percent each and Vice President Jejomar Binay with five percent.

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Alan Peter Cayetano were tied with three percent.

Like Poe, both Roxas and Binay have declared their intention to run as president in the 2016 elections. Meanwhile, Duterte has dropped out of the race weeks after the survey was conducted.

READ: Duterte drops out of presidential race

Camarines Sur Representative Leni Robredo, who previously did not figure in the survey, had a preference rate of two percent.

Robredo, who has yet to declare her intention to run, has been approached by Roxas to become his running mate. This was after Poe formally declined Roxas’ offer and finally declared her presidential bid for 2016.

Other vice presidential aspirants with a preference rating of one percent each are Senator Loren Legarda, former president and now Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, Batangas Governor Vilma Santos, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, former senator Manny Villar, boxing icon and Sarangani Representative Manny Pacquiao and former senator and rehabilitation czar Panfilo Lacson.

Unlike the SWS presidential survey, the poll for vice presidential bets was administered by asking respondents, “Who will you probably vote for as vice president of the Philippines if elections were held today?”

The poll was non-commissioned and has sampling error margins of three percent for national percentages, and six percent each for Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.