Presidential candidates Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Sen. Grace Poe-Llamanzares.
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/LYN RILLON
The latest Laylo survey which placed Senator Grace Poe at second place in the presidential race showed that she “possesses the strongest challenge” to frontrunner Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Poe’s spokesman said on Thursday.
“This most recent survey result clearly frames the situation this coming Monday,” Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian said in a statement.
He was referring to the final Laylo pre-elections survey conducted from April 27 to May 1 where Poe received 25 percent preference votes, said to be in a virtual tie with former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, who received 22 percent.
Duterte remained the voters’ top choice for president with 32 percent.
“The numbers of this survey show that Monday’s polls will be a close match between Sen. Poe and Mayor Duterte,” Gatchalian said.
“Of all the candidates running, Sen. Poe is the one who possesses the strongest challenge to Mayor Duterte.”
“In fact, the details of this survey show that she has already taken back Metro Manila, a key battleground area for whoever will sit in the Palace,” he added.
READ: Duterte ahead by 7 in final Standard survey
Gatchalian said they are “very confident” that in the last three days of the campaign, more people calling for “sensible change” will consolidate behind Poe’s presidential bid.
Vice President Jejomar Binay was fourth in the survey with 15 percent while Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago was fifth with two percent. CDG/rga
READ: Elections 2016 surveys on presidential, VP candidate preference