Noynoy widens lead – SWS

MANILA, Philippines – Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Sen. Benigno Aquino III has widened his lead over his closest rival Nacionalista Party (NP) candidate Sen. Manuel Villar in the latest presidential survey done by the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

The survey, conducted from March 19 to 22, showed Aquino keeping his lead over eight rivals in the presidential race and arresting a slide in support, with 37 percent against Villar’s 28 percent.

The two frontrunners were at a statistical tie in surveys last month.

Former President Joseph Estrada of the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino came in third with 19 percent, narrowing Villar’s lead to just nine points from 19 points in February, according to the results of the SWS survey done jointly with BusinessWorld.

Lakas-Kampi-CMD bet Gilbert Teodoro Jr., meanwhile, stayed in fourth place with six percent.

There were minimal changes in the ratings of other candidates. Bagumbayan’s Sen. Richard Gordon got three percent; Bangon Pilipinas’ Eddie Villanueva, two percent; Ang Kapatiran bet John Carlos de los Reyes, 0.3 percent, and independent candidates Nicanor Perlas and Sen. Jamby Madrigal, 0.1 percent and 0.04 percent, respectively.

The votes for disqualified Kilusang Bagong Lipunan candidate Vetellano Acosta were classified under the “undecided and others.”

The SWS said Aquino dominated all candidates in all geographic areas and socio-economic classes. However, support for him in Metro Manila dropped to 39 percent from 42 percent and in Mindanao to 32 percent from 35 percent.

Aquino overtook Villar in the rest of Luzon and among classes ABC and E, the SWS said.

It said support for Villar declined in almost all geographic areas and socioeconomic classes, except in Metro Manila where he kept his score of 20 percent.

SWS explained that Aquino’s nationwide gain was just one point as his three-point losses in Metro Manila and Mindanao offset his four points increase in the Visayas and two points in the rest of Luzon.

Villar’s nationwide loss of six points, SWS said, was due to his ratings’ seven-point drop in Luzon – except in Metro Manila – and in the Visayas, a six-point fall in Mindanao.

The poll used face-to-face interviews with 2,100 registered voters nationwide, divided into random samples of 300 in Metro Manila and 600 each in balance Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao.

The survey has sampling error margins of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points for national percentages, plus or minus six percentage points for Metro Manila, and plus or minus four percentage points for the rest of Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao.

Attacks ‘gained traction’

The LP said the issues raised against Villar had apparently “gained traction,” based on survey results.

It said Filipinos were now shunning Villar because of his reported election overspending, his alleged involvement in corruption issues particularly the C-5 road diversion, and his rumored “unholy alliance” with the Arroyo administration.

“The poor are beginning to see the true nature of Sen. Manny Villar and all these are taking a toll on his numbers. We continue to spread our message of good governance and change,” Aquino spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.

“In addition, people have grown weary of his (Villar’s) ad overspending, the C-5 scandal, the various landgrabbing scandals that are beginning to surface, the ‘Villaroyo’ alliance and his transactional politics have all accounted for the drop in his numbers,” he added.

“It appeared that our message of ‘Kung Walang Corrupt, Walang Mahirap’ is resonating among the people,” Lacierda said.

In Naga City, Villar said he is confident he can still catch up with Aquino, since the lead is only single-digit.

“Siguro sa kampanya, may mga kailangan kaming i-adjust (Maybe we have to make adjustments in our campaigning),” he said.

‘Dramatic poll bounce’

The ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD expects a “dramatic poll bounce” for its candidate, Teodoro, despite his consistent poor ratings.

“The formidable political machinery of Lakas-Kampi-CMD now comes into play as our local candidates and their ward leaders start campaigning hard for Gibo to ensure his victory,” Teodoro’s spokesman Michael Toledo said.

A week before the start of the campaign period for local candidates, 51 governors voiced their support for Teodoro and promised to deliver “the highest possible number of votes” for him.

He said the administration bet also came in first or second in the latest mock polls in universities, proving anew “the apparent lock of the 1989 bar topnotcher on the votes of students and other young voters, who comprise a majority of this year’s voters.”

He also said Teodoro “stamped his mark” in a series of presidential preference surveys conducted nationwide by broadcast media giant Radio Mindanao Network.

Toledo said the ruling party “will show its might this local campaign season.” With Aurea Calica, Paolo Romero, Christina Mendez, Antonieta Lopez, Helen Flores (The Philippine Star)