Bong, Jinggoy, Miriam still up

MANILA, Philippines - Re-electionist senators Bong Revilla Jr., Jinggoy Estrada and Miriam Defensor-Santiago were statistically tied at first place in the latest senatorial survey by Pulse Asia.

Pulse Asia said 14 candidates have a statistical chance of winning Senate seats if the elections were held during the Feb. 21 to 25 survey period.

The non-commissioned survey showed Revilla getting 53.6 percent of votes, which translates to a statistical ranking of 1st to 3rd place. He is in a statistical tie with Estrada, who got 52.6 percent of the votes.

Santiago received 49.4 percent of votes, which places her anywhere from 1st to 5th.

Another re-electionist, Sen. Pia Cayetano, who received 45.4 percent, ranks 3rd to 6th.

Cayetano shared the same statistical ranking as former Senate president Franklin Drilon with 45 percent.

In sixth place is Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile (43.8 percent) with a statistical ranking of 4th to 6th.

Other senatorial candidates who have a statistical chance of winning were former senator Tito Sotto with 33.2 percent, former senator and former National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) director general Ralph Recto (33.1 percent), former senator Serge Osmeña (29.1 percent), Ilocos Norte Rep. Bongbong Marcos (28.2 percent).

Also included in the list of probable winners were re-electionist Sen. Lito Lapid who obtained 25.8 percent of votes, Bukidnon Rep. TG Guingona III (24.3 percent), NBN-ZTE scandal whistleblower businessman Joey de Venecia (23.5 percent), and Muntinlupa Rep. Ruffy Biazon (22.7 percent).

Pulse Asia said Sotto, Recto, Osmeña and Marcos would make it to the winning circle of 12 senators if the elections were held at the time of the survey.

“Their poorest possible showing, statistically speaking, is 9th place for the first two former senators, 11th for former Sen. Osmeña and 12th for Rep. Marcos. On the other hand, the senatorial bids of Sen. Lapid, Rep. Guingona, Mr. de Venecia and Rep. Biazon are more vulnerable as they could land outside the winning circle, their worst statistical ranking being in the range of 14th to 16th,” Pulse Asia explained.

Other candidates who registered significant improvements in voter preferences were independent candidate lawyer Gwen Pimentel, daughter of Sen. Aquilino Pimentel (+11.4 percentage points), former Cavite Rep. Gilbert Remulla (+10.5 percentage points) and Akbayan party-list Rep. Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel (+5.8 percentage points).

The survey used face-to-face interviews of 1,800 representative adults, 18 years old and above.

Pulse Asia’s nationwide survey has a plus or minus two percentage points error margin at the 95 percent confidence level.

Revilla tops SWS survey for senators

Meanwhile, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) yesterday said Revilla will top the senatorial race if the elections were held during its Feb 24-28 survey period.

In its latest survey, Revilla got the nod of 54 percent of voters.

Cayetano came second with 51 percent, Estrada with 47 percent and Santiago with 46 percent.

In fifth and sixth spots were Drilon (45 percent) and Recto (41 percent).

Enrile was in seventh place with 40 percent, closely followed by Sotto with 39 percent

Marcos received 32 percent; followed by Lapid and Osmeña, 31 percent each.

Also included the list of probable winners is Pimentel who got 27 percent, up by two percentage points from the previous Jan. 21-24 survey.

Statistically tied with her is Guingona, 25 percent.

De Venecia and Biazon obtained 23 percent each.

KBL bet spells double whammy for Liberal Party

Meanwhile, the Liberal Party said disqualified Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) presidential candidate Vetellano Acosta would cause a double whammy for their candidates.

The LP said Acosta’s name is listed over standard-bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III in the ballot and second, their senatorial candidate Neric Acosta is being mistaken for the disqualified bet, being not-so-well-known among voters.

In a statement, Acosta, a former teacher and Bukidnon representative, lamented that when he was in the University of Luzon in Pangasinan, he was surprised to receive calls from supporters asking why he was disqualified.

Acosta said the Comelec was a big disappointment because it failed to disqualify KBL’s Acosta from the beginning.

Acosta said at the very least, the Comelec should make up for its mistake by removing Vetellano Acosta’s name from the list of presidential candidates in the ballots. With Aurea Calica