Grace Poe, Pia Cayetano top 2019 Senate survey
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Grace Poe remains the top choice among preferred senatorial candidates for the 2019 midterm elections, with 67.4 percent of respondents in a Pulse Asia survey saying they would vote for her.
Poe, who will run for her second term next year is followed by Rep. Pia Cayetano (Taguig) with 55.7 percent.
Sen. Cynthia Villar ranked third with 50.1 percent while Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio placed fourth with 46.2 percent.
Sen. Sonny Angara placed fifth in the survey with 41.9 percent while former Sen. Jinggoy Estrada ranked sixth with 37.9 percent.
Completing the "Magic 12" are former Bureau of Corrections chief Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa (37.7 percent), Sen. Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III (37.7 percent), Sen. Nancy Binay (37.1 percent), former Sen. Serge Osmeña (36.6 percent), former Sen. Lito Lapid (36.2 percent) and Sen. JV Ejercito (35.6 percent).
Trailing in the survey are Sen. Bam Aquino (32.1 percent), Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos (29.9 percent), Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista (28.5 percent), actor Robin Padilla (28.2 percent) and broadcaster Mon Tulfo (27.1 percent).
Also in the top 20 were former Sen. Mar Roxas (26.7 percent), former Sen. Bong Revilla (26.7 percent) and broadcast journalist Ted Failon (25.8 percent).
The survey was conducted from June 15 to 21 and the respondents were allowed to identify up to 12 names. — Patricia Lourdes Viray
Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos, the eldest daughter of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, hints that she may run for Senate in next year's elections.
She says there's a 50-50 chance that she will run for a national position, possibly the Senate. She adds that she and her brother, former Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., have already been going around the country.
The Ilocos Norte governor says the Marcos family is already discussing plans for next year's elections as her brother's electoral protest is "taking forever and ever."
Defeated vice presidential candidate Bongbong has filed a poll protest after he lost to Leni Robredo by 263,473 votes in the May 2016 elections. — with a report from Romina Cabrera
Former presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. is withdrawing his bid for senator, he says on his Facebook page.
He says he is withdrawing because of health issues.
"I have recently undergone a percutaneous coronary intervention following the discovery of an unstable angina coronary disease earlier this week. In the days since the procedure, I have been forced to confront the reality of my physical situation and what it ultimately means for my aspirations to public service," he says.
Roque, a human rights lawyer before joining government, had initially said he was running as a party-list representative and would advocate passage of laws to protect the environment. Days later, he pushed through with filing a certificate of candidacy for senator.
The Commission on Elections released a preliminary list of aspirants for the 2019 midterm elections for possible correction of names.
The initial list included those who had been named in the poll body's law department petition to be declared nuisance candidates for senator.
"Hindi pa lahat yan, sure na pasok. For verification of accuracy lang yan - so that the candidates can correct misspellings or errors, if any," Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said on Twitter.
Below is the tentative list of candidates for senator in the 2019 elections.