Estrada, Bagatsing top Tsinoy group’s survey

MANILA, Philippines — With only eight days before the elections, reelectionist Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada and his running mate, former congressman Amado Bagatsing topped a survey conducted by the Filipino-Chinese Independent Business Coalition (FCIBC).

The group also observed that the tandem also topped other pre-election surveys.

“If the trend remains unchanged,  incumbent Mayor Joseph Estrada will serve his third and last term while Manila will have a new vice mayor,” the FCIBC said.

The non-commissioned survey, conducted from April 24 to 27 and using face-to-face interviews, showed Estrada garnered 51.8 percent of votes, the highest number of percentage points he garnered in surveys since last January, the FCIBC sid.

Former vice mayor Isko Moreno received 34.8 percent of votes and former mayor Alfredo Lim received 13 percent, according to the FCIBC.

For vice mayor, Bagatsing received 54.5 percent of votes while reelectionist Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna, Moreno’s running mate, received 45 percent.

Marvin Manhit, FCIBC Chief research analyst, said they observed in their study that Estrada maintained  a “magnetic”  political appeal to Manileños.

“If you will notice, both Isko and Lacuna served as vice mayors under Estrada’s leadership. Based on our assessment, anybody who will be the running mate of  Mayor Estrada will win and it looks like Amado Bagatsing, who is also a veteran politician has the advantage over the incumbent,”  he said.

The FCIBC is the same group that released a study in 2016 predicting Estrada’s slim victory over Lim.

Estrada received 283,149 votes while  Lim got 280,464 – a lead of just 2,000 votes – in the 2016 elections.

“This time, we can foresee a  commanding lead by Estrada against his opponent if the trend will continue and we also expect a landslide victory,”  Manhit said.

Early this month, the Laylo Research Strategies and Media Trend Setter survey showed Estrada is the most preferred candidate for Manila’s top post.