‘SWS survey shows Villar gaining ground even in Aquino’s bailiwicks’

MANILA, Philippines – After successfully narrowing the lead of his main rival, Nacionalista Party (NP) presidential bet Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. moved to “evade” the areas perceived to be the bailiwicks of Liberal Party (LP) candidate Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.

NP spokesman Gilbert Remulla said Villar has started to sustain his presence in the areas where he posted strong support as revealed by the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.

Remulla noted the SWS survey showed Villar was now the choice of vote-rich Northern-Central Luzon, where Aquino posted big in the previous surveys.

The SWS survey said Villar garnered 41.33 percent in the region, trouncing Aquino who got 31.33 percent. The region of Northern-Central Luzon represents 22.16 percent of the total respondents.

The Dec. 27-29 survey that was released Friday showed the lead of Aquino over Villar was down by 11 points.

In the previous Dec. 5-10 SWS survey, Aquino lorded it over in the region when he garnered 43.33 percent. Villar was second with 30.67 percent.

Another highlight was the number of undecided, which fell from four percent in Dec. 5-10 to only one percent in Dec. 27-28.

The latest SWS survey was commissioned by San Juan Rep. Ronaldo Zamora, who is supporting Villar’s presidential bid.

Aquino garnered 44 percent, down from 46 percent in the Dec. 5-10 national survey, SWS said. Villar placed second with 33 percent, up from 27 percent in the previous Dec. 5-10 survey.

Remulla said the NP predicts Villar would be even with Aquino by March.

Remulla said party members were “happy because we can see that every time Senator Villar goes around the country, the support for him is increasing.”

Remulla added that Villar’s plugs on television and radio apparently boosted the NP standard-bearer’s ratings.

“But it’s not just advertising; it’s the message that you are trying to get across. What’s his message, his vision? He wants the people to prosper,” Remulla said.

Remulla also slammed Aquino for laughing off the latest survey.

“Noynoy’s refusal to accept the results of a scientific survey by a reputable polling firm, which showed his once-formidable lead over his closest rival trimmed to near single digits, reveals a mindset which treats the presidency as something of a birthright,” he said.

Remulla said Aquino found it hard to accept that Villar, a former fish vendor from Tondo, is challenging him.

At a presidential forum sponsored by GMA-7’s dzBB radio, Aquino contested the latest survey results showing his lead is being narrowed down.

Aquino was quoted as saying that “there are surveys that can be bought in Quiapo.”

“When you treat the presidency as a family heirloom that you can inherit on a silver platter then you get unnerved when you read the newsflash that your being president is far from being a done deal,” Remulla said.

“This is the reason he lost his composure during last Saturday’s GMA-7 sponsored presidential candidates’ forum in Ayala Alabang, when he hinted with sarcasm that the outcome of surveys done by the independent SWS can be bought from Quiapo.”

Remulla added he was surprised when Noynoy took a swipe at SWS, “when he had met with glee the previous survey results of the same polling firm that showed him enjoying a commanding lead over his competitors.”

“Now that the same firm, using the same methodology, has come up with a survey that showed that his big lead has evaporated, he begins to question its credibility,” Remulla said.

On the other hand, Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno, vice chairman of Lakas-Kampi-CMD, said the latest SWS survey would be more dramatic as the campaign kicks off in February.

Puno said the latest SWS survey showing Lakas-Kampi presidential bet Gilbert Teodoro in fourth place would surely improve when local candidates would campaigning in March.

He said the Lakas-Kampi-CMD party has local bets nationwide, which are expected to carry the name of Teodoro in their campaign.

Puno said the recent survey would not be similar to the outcome of the presidential elections on May.

Another presidential bet, Sen. Richard Gordon, said surveys should not be interpreted as the possible outcome on election day.

He stressed the track record of the candidate should be more important than what the survey said.

Gordon said the real survey that should be looked into should be the result of the elections on May 10.

“If you believe in the surveys, then we should not hold the elections anymore, we should continue the surveys,” Gordon said. – –Christina Mendez (The Philippine Star) with Cecille Suerte Felipe, Mike Frialde