Loren tops another survey

Genuine Opposition senatorial candidate Loren Legarda topped a survey conducted by an unidentified United States-based group from April 12 to 16, garnering 64 percent of the respondents’ "intended votes."

The new survey, which was reportedly commissioned by Malacañang, showed that five of the 12 senate seats under contention may go to the administration’s Team Unity, five more to the Genuine Opposition and two may be occupied by independents in a predicted ratio of 5-5-2 for the senatorial race.

Four GO candidates occupied the first four slots in the survey – Legarda with 64 percent; Senate President Manuel Villar Jr. with 51 percent and; Sen. Panfilo Lacson and Sorsogon Rep. Francis Escudero tied with 46 percent each.

Independent senatorial candidate and Senate Majority Leader Francisco Pangilinan took the survey’s fifth position with 44 percent of intended votes, followed by TU candidate Sen. Ralph Recto, who garnered 43 percent.

Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano of GO came in seventh with 41 percent, followed by TU’s incumbent Sen. Edgardo Angara with 39 percent and independent former senator Gregorio Honasan with 36 percent.

TU’s Vicente Sotto III, Sen. Joker Arroyo and Rep. Juan Miguel Zubiri tied with 33 percent each of the intended votes.

At 13th place was GO’s Tarlac Rep. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino Jr. with 32 percent, just one point behind the cliffhangers.

Vying for the 14th and 15th places are GO senatorial bets Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, the son of Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr., and Sonia Roco, the wife of the late Sen. Raul Roco, with 30 percent each.