Enrile, Honasan out of ‘Magic 12’

MANILA, Philippines - United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) candidates Juan Ponce “Jack” Enrile Jr. and re-electionist Sen. Gringo Honasan have dropped out of the Senate “Magic 12” in the latest pre-election survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

Enrile, son of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, obtained 38 percent in the Feb. 15-17 survey, lower than the 46 percent he achieved in the SWS January poll. He fell to 13th place from 8th to 9th last month.

Honasan’s rating, on the other hand, dropped from 48 percent to 34 percent. He is now in 15th place from 5th-6th.

The February survey result was the first time that Enrile and Honasan fell out of the top 12, the SWS noted.

Results of the latest SWS survey were published in the newspaper BusinessWorld yesterday.

Independent candidates, on the other hand, continued to top the SWS poll on the Filipinos’ senatorial preferences for the May 2013 elections.

Senators Loren Legarda of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), Francis Joseph “Chiz” Escudero (independent) and Alan Peter Cayetano of the Nacionalista Party-PNoy were ranked 1st (65 from 64 percent), 2nd (62 percent), and third (from 60 to 58), respectively.

In fourth place was former Las Piñas City Rep. Cynthia Villar (NP-PNoy), wife of outgoing Sen. Manuel Villar Jr., from previous ranking of 8th to 9th places.

Grace Poe, daughter of the late King of Philippine Movies and former presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr., and Sen. Aquilino Martin “Koko” Pimentel III (Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan-PNoy), were ranked 5th to 6th, obtaining scores of 48 percent each.

Nancy Binay, daughter of Vice President Jejomar Binay, grabbed the 7th place with 47 percent; followed by re-electionist Sen. Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV (NP-PNoy) who improved from 10th -11th last month to 8th place.

San Juan Rep. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito (UNA), son of former President Joseph Estrada, and President Aquino’s cousin Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, (LP-PNoy) ranked 9th to 10th places in the February 2013 poll.

The February result is the lowest rank so far for Ejercito, who was 4th in January, and the highest for Aquino, who was 15th last month and 17th in two earlier surveys, the SWS said.

Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara of the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino-PNoy and former senator Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri (UNA) shared 11th-12th places.

Falling below the top 12 but still with a chance of winning Senate seats were Enrile, Honasan and former senator Maria Consuelo “Jamby” Madrigal (LP), who ranked 15th, an improvement from 17th last month, the SWS said.

Statistically below 12th were former senator Ramon Magsaysay Jr. (LP, 16th), former senator Richard Gordon (UNA, 17th), former Akbayan Rep. Ana Theresia Hontiveros-Baraquel (Akbayan, 18th) and former senator Ernesto Maceda (UNA, 19th).

The 20th to 22nd places were shared by the President’s aunt, Margarita Cojuangco (UNA), former presidential candidate Eduardo Villanueva (Bangon Pilipinas) and Zambales Rep. Mitos Magsaysay (UNA). Palawan Mayor Edward Hagedorn was in 23rd place.

Party-list Rep. Teodoro Casiño (Makabayan), Rizalito David (Ang Kapatiran), Ramon Montaño (independent), John Carlos de los Reyes (Ang Kapatiran), Ricardo Penson (independent), Samson Alcantara (Social Justice Society), Greco Belgica (Democratic Party of the Philippines), Christian Señeres (DPP), Baldohero Falcone (DPP) and Marwil Llasos (Ang Kapatiran) all received single-digit scores.

The SWS February 2013 survey used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 registered voters nationwide and has sampling error margins of plus or minus three percentage points for national and plus or minus six percentage points for area percentages.

Team PNoy still looking at 12-0 sweep

With nine of its candidates in the top 12 of the latest SWS survey, the administration’s Team PNoy coalition said that the people are starting to realize who is really on the side of the President and his tuwid na daan or straight path platform.

In a statement, Team PNoy spokesperson, Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone said that the latest survey result was an indication that the people have rejected the black propaganda campaign of UNA against the administration ticket.

He said the voters are also realizing the absence of a clear platform in UNA in contrast to Team PNoy.

Team PNoy campaign manager, Sen. Franklin Drilon said that the dominance of Team PNoy in the SWS survey was reminiscent of the 1987 senatorial polls where the endorsement of the late President Corazon Aquino helped bring about a near sweep for the administration ticket.

“It’s 1986 all over again. The survey is an affirmation of the people’s support for the Liberal Party-led coalition and its platform of government anchored on clean government, inclusive growth, and peace and security all over the country,” Drilon said.

“This latest vote of confidence on the candidates personally handpicked by President Aquino himself also focuses attention on the great political tasks awaiting them once they are formally elected into office,” he added.

He said that a victory by the President’s candidates in this May’s midterm election would ensure that the clean government advocacy of the President would be upheld and that the programs aimed at reducing poverty and improving social services such as equitable access to education and health would continue.

Marikina City Rep. Romero Quimbo, who is also a spokesperson for Team PNoy, noted that the three other administration candidates who were not in the top 12 of the survey were all within striking distance.

Angara, Villar and Bam Aquino expressed gratitude over the people’s response to their campaign, but vowed not to be complacent as elections draw nearer.

Villar said the survey encourages and inspires her to bring her message across through my advocacies and platform of continued service to more people.

“I am happy that Filipinos appreciate my efforts to help them,” said the former congresswoman, who is also managing director of the Villar Foundation.

Angara, who went from 13th in January to the 11th to 12th spot in February, said that the people are now showing their support to Team PNoy as a group.

He assured the public that the administration party will fight for the rights of the poor and the marginalized by way of pursuing the good governance policy of President Aquino.

The President’s first cousin, Bam, told reporters that he was very glad that all their hard work had somehow bore fruit, but clarified this is not the time to celebrate yet, since more work still needs to be done.

“Coming from 24, this (SWS record of 9-10 ranking) is definitely good news. This is the first time that I have entered the Magic 12,” he said. “I think we’re doing a good job in explaining to the people our advocacies. I think the message is working.”

“We’re all very happy with that jump (in ratings). There is no more need in shifting our strategy. All we need is to push it even further,” Aquino said, acknowledging that while his family strikes name recall, he still has to work hard to win in the May 13 elections.

Mind conditioning

Meanwhile, UNA dismissed the latest survey as an effort by people or groups supportive of the administration ticket to “condition” the public and start “trending” a 12-0 outcome of the May 13 elections to favor their tail-ender candidates.

“I think this is mind conditioning. There should be a prohibition against the disclosure of survey results,” former senator Gordon said, adding that the result doesn’t bother him at all. - Delon Porcalla, Marvin Sy, Jess Diaz, Jose Rodel Clapano