Duterte posts 12-point lead over Poe in new Pulse Asia poll

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte at the presidential debate in Pangasinan. SCREENGRAB FROM ABS-CBN

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is still the candidate to beat as he posted a 12-point lead over erstwhile front-runner Senator Grace Poe, according to the results of the latest Pulse Asia “Pulso ng Bayan” poll released on Tuesday.

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The survey,  conducted from April 16 to 20, showed Duterte with 35 percent of the respondents picking him as their next president. Poe got 23 percent.

They are followed by administration bet former Interior secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II and Vice President Jejomar Binay, who are “statistically tied” in third place with 17 percent and 16 percent, respectively.

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago remained in last place with 2 percent.

Pulse Asia noted that Duterte still copped the top spot in the presidential race despite drawing flak for his rape comments about the late Australian missionary Jacqueline Hamill in 1989.

READ:  Duterte still up after rape joke; Binay biggest loser

Duterte was the top pick among Metro Manila, Visayas and Mindanao respondents, with 40 percent, 32 percent and 58 percent of the respondents, respectively, picking him as their next chief executive.

Poe was the number one choice of Balance Luzon respondents with 28 percent.

The tough-talking mayor secured the lead across all social classes: Class ABC with 43 percent, Class D with 32 percent and Class E with 40 percent.

The survey had 1,800 respondents and an error margin of plus minus 2.3 percent at 95 percent confidence level. CDG

READ: Elections 2016 surveys on presidential, VP candidate preference