Binay statistically tied with Legarda in new poll

SENATOR Manuel Roxas II widened his lead to 18 percentage points over vice presidential rival and fellow Senator Loren Legarda, 41 percent to 23 percent, as Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay continued to catch up in the latest Manila Standard poll.

Binay was the choice of 22 percent of the 2,500 respondents in the April 18 to 20 survey, placing him in a statistical tie with Legarda, said Manila Standard resident pollster Pedro Laylo Jr.

Former Metro Manila Development Authority chairman Bayani Fernando obtained 3 percent, while administration bet Eduardo Manzano took 2 percent.

Roxas regained the lead in Metro Manila with 37 percent, but Binay was at his heels with 35 percent. Compared to the April 4 to 6 survey, Binay lost 4 percentage points while Roxas gained 6 points. Legarda also picked up a 2-percentage point increase, staying in third place with just 13 percent. The number of undecided voters slipped to 9 percent from the previous month’s 11 percent.

Roxas stayed ahead of Legarda and Binay in the North, Central and South Luzon and Bicol regions. Legarda’s vote share continued to slide, while Binay gained traction in Southern Luzon and Bicol, where the Makati mayor took second position.

In the Visayas, Roxas gathered four more points, making him the current runaway leader with a 57-percent share of the votes over Legarda’s 20 percent and Binay’s 14 percent. Both Legarda and Binay suffered declines in the region.

In Mindanao, support for Roxas rose to 38 percent after losing a couple of points in the last survey. Legarda’s vote share was at 31 percent while Binay’s was at 17 percent.

Roxas further solidified his lead at 49 percent among the upper and middle classes as Legarda lost six points, down to only 10 percent, a far third, even as Binay shed two points, at 26 percent.

Among the poor, the standings remained virtually the same with Roxas, Legarda and Binay still at 40 percent, 22 percent and 24 percent, respectively.

Among the very poor, Roxas was way ahead with 41 percent, with Legarda at 30 percent and Binay at 17 percent.

Roxas also further strengthened his hold across age groups. Legarda went down nine points among those aged 18 to 24.

Legarda and Binay are in a tight race among the other age groups, with Binay maintaining his increases since the last survey.

Roxas also maintained a formidable lead over his rivals regardless of gender, picking up 40 percent endorsement among males and 41 percent among females. –Manila Standard Today