Leni jumps 7 points, now leads VP race

Liberal Party Vice Presidential bet and Camarines Sur Representative Leni Robredo INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / RICHARD A. REYES

For the first time ever, Rep. Leni Robredo has taken the lead in a major pre-election survey, climbing seven percentage points to emerge at the top of the April 18-20 face-to-face Social Weather Stations poll. At 26 percent, she is in a virtual tie with the former frontrunner, Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., whose voter preference rating slipped from 26 to 25 percent.

The SWS partner in pre-election surveys, BusinessWorld, reported that the latest survey showed that “ the race for the vice presidency has become close.”  The poll was conducted among 1,800 validated voters, with a sampling margin of error of plus or minus two points.

Last year’s frontrunner in the vice presidential race, Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero, fell further from 28 in March, to 21 in the March 30 – April 2 SWS survey, to 18 percent in the April poll.

READ:  Marcos rules Pulse Asia VP poll; Robredo rises

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano had a voter preference rating of 16 percent, up from 13 percent, while Senators Antonio Trillanes IV held steady at 5 percent. Sen. Gringo Honasan’s standing fell from 5 to 2 percent.

Pulse Asia

Social Weather Stations conducts its survey work differently from Pulse Asia. The last Pulse survey, taken much earlier, from April 5 to 10, showed Marcos leading the race with 27 percent, while Robredo and Escudero were in a virtual tie, at 23 and 21 percent. Cayetano had a voter preference rating of 17 percent, Honasan 4 percent, and Trillanes 3 percent.

READ: Aika Robredo–Leni’s secret campaign weapon

The only vice presidential debate sanctioned by the Commission on Elections was held on April 10, at the University of Santo Tomas. — JN