Legarda, Escudero lead 2013 Senate race, poll shows

If the Senatorial elections were held this month, all six reelectionist senators would win the race, according to results of a nationwide survey by Pulse Asia.

Senator Loren Legarda INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The survey, conducted from February 26 to March 9, showed Senator Loren Legarda regaining the No. 1 spot previously held by Senator Francis Escudero in the November 2011 survey by the same polling firm.

Legarda was the choice of 58.5 percent of 1,200 respondents, while Escudero ranked second with 52.7 percent.

“Salamat sa Diyos at salamat po (Thank you Lord and thank you),” Legarda said.

A copy of Pulse Asia’s table, titled “2013 Elections: Senatorial Preferences,” was obtained Wednesday by the Philippine Daily Inquirer. The noncommissioned survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Jack Enrile at No. 5

Respondents were asked to provide a multiple response (up to 12 names allowed) when asked who would they vote for if the 2013 elections were held today. The respondents were provided with a list of possible senatorial candidates.

Former Senator Manuel Roxas II, now transportation and communications secretary, had a voter preference of 41.8 percent, followed closely by Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano with 41.6 percent and Cagayan Representative Juan Ponce “Jack” Enrile Jr. with 38.2 percent.

Representative Enrile is the son and namesake of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, who has been widely praised as the presiding officer in the ongoing impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Former Vice President Noli de Castro secured the sixth slot with 34.6 percent.

Completing the Magic 12 were Senator Antonio Trillanes IV (33.7 percent), Senator Gregorio Honasan (32.1 percent), San Juan Representative Joseph Victor Ejercito (31.3 percent), Senator Aquilino Pimentel III (29 percent), broadcaster Ted Failon (26.9 percent) and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima (26.6 percent).

Legarda, Escudero, Cayetano, Trillanes, Honasan and Pimentel are all eligible to seek a second six-year term.

Biggest gainers

Compared with the Nov. 2011 survey on senatorial preferences by Pulse Asia, Jack Enrile and Trillanes were the biggest gainers.

From eighth place in the previous survey, the younger Enrile shot up to fifth place in the latest survey, while Trillanes moved up to the seventh slot from 11th place.

Kris Aquino

Senator Francis Escudero INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Three former senators would have a statistical chance of winning should they run in 2013: Rodolfo Biazon, now Muntinlupa congressman, (22.5 percent); Juan Miguel Zubiri (22.4 percent); and Ana Consuelo Madrigal (21.8 percent).

The survey also included other prominent personalities such as former Housing Secretary Michael Defensor (21.5 percent); President Benigno Aquino III’s sister, Kris Aquino (20.7 percent); former Senator Richard Gordon (20.3 percent); TV host Willie Revillame (20.2 percent); and Vice President Jejomar Binay’s eldest daughter, Ma. Lourdes Nancy Binay (19.5 percent).

Of the 23 incumbent senators, five senators will be ending their second term in 2013. They are Panfilo Lacson, Joker Arroyo, Edgardo Angara, Francis Pangilinan and Manuel Villar.

Aurora Representative Juan Edgardo Angara and former Las Piñas Representative Cynthia Villar are being groomed to replace Angara and Villar, respectively. Michael Lim Ubac