Sonny maintains lead

With only a week before the May 14 elections, Speaker Feliciano "Sonny" Belmonte Jr. is maintaining his overwhelming lead over his two rivals in the mayoralty race in Quezon City.

The latest survey by independent pollster Smart Research Services, Inc. showed that Belmonte was able to keep a 51 percent voter support level.

Of the 2,000 survey respondents from Quezon City’s four districts, 1,173 said they would vote for the Speaker, while 681 would support movie actor Rudy Fernandez.

Some 255 said they would go for Rep. Dante Liban of the second district and 91 were undecided.

Belmonte is running under the administration People Power Coalition. Fernandez is the candidate of ousted President Estrada’s Puwersa ng Masa.

The latest survey was conducted from April 24 to 27 when thousands of pro-Estrada supporters were massing in front of the Edsa Shrine to denounce the former president’s arrest.

Their protest ended in looting, mayhem and violence on Labor Day, May 1, in areas around Malacañang.

The sampling size in the latest polls is the same as the one used in the first Smart survey conducted during the first week of April.

In both surveys, Belmonte won in all districts, including Liban’s second district.

In the latest poll, Belmonte received the support of 54.4 percent of respondents in the first district, 45.9 percent in the second district, 54.4 percent in the third district, and 68.3 percent in the fourth district, his constituency.

The Speaker is running on a good government creed, promising Quezon City residents transparent, honest, accountable, effective, and efficient administration. His running mate is reelectionist Vice Mayor Connie Angeles. He has a complete congressional and city council ticket. – Jess Diaz