Survey: Voters prefer Poe over Roxas as Noy’s ‘anointed’

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Grace Poe will be chosen by more voters as president in 2016 over Interior Secretary Mar Roxas if endorsed by President Aquino, a recent Pulse Asia survey showed.

Poe obtained 70 percent of the votes of 1,200 respondents, or a 19-point lead over Roxas’ 51 percent.

Results of the poll conducted on June 24 to July 2 showed that 29 percent will vote for Poe while only 14 percent will go for Roxas if endorsed by the President.

Even with a presidential endorsement, 24 percent said they would not vote for Poe compared to a bigger 42 percent who said they would not vote for Roxas.

Roxas is a trusted ally of the President and the likely standard bearer of the administration Liberal Party in 2016.

Without Aquino’s endorsement, however, Vice President Jejomar Binay will beat Poe hands down on the basis of “first choice presidential preference” for 2016.

Binay obtained 41 percent of the votes with Poe way behind at 12 percent, followed by Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada with nine percent.

Ranked fourth to sixth were Sen. Francis Escudero, Roxas and Sen. Miriam Defensor- Santiago with seven percent each.

They were followed by Senators Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Alan Peter Cayetano with five percent each.

Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr., who is detained on plunder charges, got two percent, followed by Senate President Franklin Drilon and former senator Richard Gordon with one percent each.

Preferred Senate bets

Former senator Francis Pangilinan, presidential adviser for food security and agriculture, topped the list of winning senatorial candidates for 2016.

Pangilinan obtained 54.7 percent of the votes in the senatorial race, placing him in rank one to three, along with Sen. Vicente Sotto III who got 53.8 percent.

With this development, sources said Pangilinan is being eyed as a possible contender for vice president in 2016.