Pulse: Grace 39%, Binay 24%, Mar 21%

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Grace Poe remained the most preferred presidential candidate in 2016, according to a commissioned survey by Pulse Asia.

The survey, conducted from Oct. 18 to 29, showed Poe leading the 2016 presidential hopefuls with 39 percent, up by 13 points from 26 percent in September.

The poll was conducted after the filing of the certificates of candidacy last Oct. 12 to 16.

Vice President Jejomar Binay of the United Nationalist Alliance was in second place with 24 percent, up from 19 percent.

Liberal Party standard-bearer Mar Roxas ranked third with 21 percent, up by a point from 20 percent in the previous survey.

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago placed fourth with 11 percent, an eight-point improvement from three percent previously.

The Senate Electoral Tribunal on Tuesday dismissed a disqualification case filed against Poe.

Meanwhile, Poe’s running mate, Sen. Francis Escudero, also topped Pulse Asia’s vice presidential survey with 43 percent, up by 20 points from 23 percent in September.

Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. came in second with 21 percent (from 13 percent), followed by Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano with 11 percent (from nine percent); Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robrero with seven percent (from three percent); and Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV with six percent (from four percent).

The survey had 3,400 respondents and has a margin of error of 1.7 percentage points.

“She (Poe) was very thankful that despite attempts to create uncertainty (on her candidacy), Filipinos continue to have faith in her,” a close ally of the senator said.