By Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz
Seventeen individuals, most of them incumbent or former members of Congress, have a statistical chance of winning if the May 2019 elections were already being held today, the latest Pulse Asia survey results showed.
Senator Grace Poe (Manila Bulletin File Photo)
In the survey conducted last Sept. 1-7 among 1,800 respondents nationwide, 17 out of 66 personalities have a high chance of winning the elections if it were held during the survey period.
The respondents were asked to choose up to 12 names in a list provided by Pulse Asia.
Senator Grace Poe remains at the top spot with a voter preference of 70.1 percent.
Landing in second to third places was Senator Cynthia Villar (57.7 percent, while Taguig City Rep. Pia Cayetano occupied the second to fourth places (54.4 percent).
Close behind them was Senator Nancy Binay with a statistical ranking of third to fourth places (50.6 percent).
Completing the top half of the probable winners were Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio (39.5 percent placing fifth to sixth), Senator Edgardo Angara Jr. (37.1 percent, fifth to seventh places), and former Senator Jinggoy Estrada (34.6 percent, sixth to 10th places).
Sharing seventh to 11th places were Ilocos Gov. Imee Marcos (32.6 percent), Senator Aquilino Martin Pimentel III (32.4 percent), and former Senator Lito Lapid (32.2 percent).
Former Senator Sergio Osmeña was in eighth to 17th places with voter preference of 29.8 percent.
Completing the list of probable winners were six personalities who were tied for the 11th to 17th places, namely former Senator Manuel Roxas (27.7 percent), actor Robin Padilla (27.4 percent), former Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. (27.4 percent), journalist Ramon Tulfo (27 percent), Corrections chief Ronald dela Rosa (27 percent), and Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito (26.7 percent).
Only 3.6 percent of Filipinos did not support any of the probable senatorial bets included in the survey probe, refused to name their preferred senatorial candidates, or still did not know whom they will vote for in May 2019.
Nearly half of Filipinos or 49 percent already have a complete slate for the elections
With about a month to go before the filing of certificates of candidacy for the May 2019 polls and some eight months before the actual elections, 49 percent of Filipinos already have a complete line-up for the Senate.
Most of those in Class D or the ‘masa’ (51 percent), Metro Manila (53 percent), and Mindanao (58 percent), named 12 of their preferred senatorial candidates for May 2019.
Meanwhile, “big pluralities to near majorities” in Class E or the poorest (43 percent), Class ABC or the upper-to-middle class (44 percent), the rest of Luzon (44 percent), and Visayas (48 percent) also named 12 preferred candidates.
In addition, Filipinos are currently expressing support for an average of nine and a median of 11 senatorial bets, out of a maximum of 12 candidates. (Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz)