By Hannah Torregoza
Senators Grace Poe and Cynthia Villar remain the leading senatorial candidates according to the latest nationwide Magdalo Senatorial Survey.
(L-R) Re-electionist Senators Grace Poe, Cynthia Villar and former Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go (MANILA BULLETIN)
Opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said that based on their survey Poe garnered 60.4 percent, with Villar at second with 50.8 percent.
Trillanes, chairman of the Magdalo group, said the in-house survey was conducted last April 2 to 4, 2019 and employed a multi-stage probability sampling design with face-to-face interviews of 3,000 respondents, equitably representing the voting population across the different regions of the country.
The survey has a margin of error of 1.8 percent.
The respondents were given a list of all the senatorial candidates and were asked the question: “Kung ngayon gagawin ang eleksyon sa pagka-senador, sino sa mga sumusunod na kandidato ang inyong iboboto? Pumili hanggang 12 na kandidato (if the senatorial elections are held today, who would you vote for? Choose 12 candidates).”
Based on the Magdalo survey, former presidential aide Christopher “Bong” Go rose to third place with 47.8 percent, followed by former senators Lito Lapid at number four with 42.3 percent, and Pia Cayetano at number five with 40.4 percent.
Other candidates who made it to the top 16 are the following:
(6) Bong Revilla, 39.1 percent, (7) Bato Dela Rosa, 36.9 percent, (8) Sen. Paolo “Bam” Aquino IV, 34.5 percent (9) Nancy Binay, 33.7 percent, (10) Imee Marcos, 32.7 percent, (11) Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, 30.9 percent, (12) Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, 30.7 percent, (13), Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, 29.3 percent, (14) Francis Tolentino, 29.0 percent, (15) Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, 25.6 percent and (16) Joseph “JV” Ejercito, 23.4 percent.
Despite the tight race, Trillanes said the ratings of the other Otso Diretso candidates are continuously improving.
He said Magdalo Representative Gary Alejano is now at number 20, followed by civic leader Samira Gutoc at number 21.
“Romy Macalintal advances to number 24 from being at number 27 in the last survey; Erin Tañada is at number 25; (Chel) Diokno is at 28; and Pilo Hilbay, from being at number 35, is now at number 31,” Trillanes said. #MatalinongBoto2019