Poe leads Roxas, others as top-of-mind for country’s 2nd highest post
April 24, 2015 at 15:57
Posted on April 22, 2015 11:27:00 PM
WHILE NARROWING THE GAP with Vice-President Jejomar C. Binay as the top-of-mind candidate to replace President Benigno S. C. Aquino III when he relinquishes his post on June 30 next year, Senator Grace S. Poe-Llamanzares has also emerged as the most-favored choice for the second-highest post in the country come 2016, according to a new Social Weather Stations (SWS) report.
About one in every four Filipinos, or 26%, chose Ms. Llamanzares when asked to name — without being prompted with a list — just one candidate for the vice-presidency.
Following her were Interior Secretary Manuel A. Roxas II (12%) and Mr. Binay (7%). Neither Ms. Llamanzares nor Mr. Roxas were readily available for comment, while Mr. Binay’s camp declined to issue any statement.
Others who made it to the list were Sen. Francis Joseph “Chiz” G. Escudero (6%), Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago (5%), Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte (4%), Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. (3%), Sen. Alan Peter S. Cayetano (3%), Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” E. Estrada (3%), Sen. Antonio “Sonny” F. Trillanes IV (3%), Sen. Loren B. Legarda (1.7%), Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery Panfilo M. Lacson (1.6%), tycoon and former senator Manuel “Manny” B. Villar, Jr. (0.6%), Sen. Jose “Jinggoy” P. Ejercito Estrada (0.6%), and Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto (0.6%).
The report did not include names of people who garnered less than 0.5%.
The SWS noted that 7% of respondents had no one to recommend for the position, while 13% could not give an answer.
Sought for comment, political science professor Edmund S. Tayao of the University of Santo Tomas said the survey results meant two things: that Ms. Llamanzares is “winnable” for both the presidential and vice-presidential races, and Mr. Binay is “beatable” for the top post.
“You can already say that the respondents are able to tell who they really prefer for what position,” Mr. Tayao said in a telephone interview.
“Sen. Poe-Llamanzares is already expected to be the runaway preferred choice for vice-president, considering that she is number two in the case of the presidential survey,” Mr. Tayao added.
“Sen. Poe shares significant popularity. Either way, Sen. Poe should be a winnable candidate for both (positions).”
As for Mr. Binay, Mr. Tayao said: “This only means that respondents or the general public prefers him really as president, not as vice-president, especially for his bailiwick. My theory is, he is already secured of about 20% of voters… But he is still beatable.”
“If it’s gong to be a five-way race, Mr. Binay has a good chance. But if it’s going to be three-way or less, medyo mahirapan siya (he will find that a bit difficult),” Mr. Tayao added.
“This survey simply says that there’s really a lot of work for the administration if it’s going to be Sec. Mar, for him to recover,” he also said of Mr. Roxas, who is said to be the presumptive standard bearer of the ruling Liberal Party for next year. – Melissa Luz T. Lopez
