Villar believes his ratings will still improve

ILOILO CITY , Philippines  – Nacionalista Party (NP) standard-bearer Sen. Manuel Villar is confident that he and running mate Sen. Loren Legarda can catch up with Liberal Party tandem Senators Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and Manuel “Mar” Roxas II on survey ratings after a recent pulsing of Filipinos’ preferred presidential candidates showed a slimmer lead for the LP candidates.

Villar said the development will encourage him and his team to work harder to get to the top of the surveys.

The Standard Poll, a nationwide poll conducted by the daily Manila Standard Today showed Aquino with a 17 percent lead over Villar.

The poll, conducted from Nov. 2 to Nov. 9, sampled 2,500 respondents.

In the survey, Aquino got a 41 percent approval rating, while Villar ranked second with 24 percent, followed by Sen. Francis Escudero who got 12 percent, and deposed President Joseph Estrada at 11 percent.

Administration bet and former defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro got three percent, while Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Bayani Fernando got one percent.

In the vice presidential survey, Roxas kept his lead over Legarda with 29 percent. Legarda got 24 percent.

Aquino’s lead in the Standard Poll is lower compared to a recent survey conducted by Pulse Asia where he attracted a 44 percent approval rating. Villar followed at a distant second with 19 percent.

The survey of 1,800 adults around the country was conducted in late October and was the first by Pulse Asia since Aquino announced his candidacy in September.

Villar also welcomed reports that Sen. Francis Escudero has renounced his bid for the presidency.

“Well, I respect his decision to run as vice president. We have a strong candidate for vice president and I am optimistic that it will also be a good fight (in the VP race),” Villar said. – Christina Mendez, Delon Porcalla, Aurea Calica