MANILA, Philippines — A day after a reported Pulse Asia survey revealed the Filipinos' presidential preferences for the 2016 elections, President Benigno Aquino III urged the public to elect the right officials.
In his Labor Day speech in Laguna on Thursday, Aquino said Filipinos should vote for leaders who would continue the reforms initiated by his administration.
"Ang pakiusap ko po, kung naniniwala kayo na tama ang ating ginagawa, kung ayaw ninyong mabaliwala ang maganda nating nasimulan sa tuwid na daan, piliin natin ang mga susunod na pinunong magpapatuloy at higit pang magpapayabong sa ating mga naipunlang reporma," Aquino said.
"Piliin po natin ang mga karapat-dapat upang maging permanente ang malawakang transpormasyong tinatamasa na ng ating lipunan," he added.
Aquino, however, did not mention in his speech the Pulse Asia poll nor the politicians included in the recent presidential survey.
But Aquino also reminded the public that the Philippines suffers from corruption and poverty because of leaders who place their personal interests first before the people's welfare.
According to the reported recent survey by Pulse Asia, Vice President Jejomar Binay will be the runaway winner if the next presidential elections were held today.
The survey, conducted from March 19 to 26, found Binay obtaining 40 percent of votes of 1,200 respondents nationwide, reports said.
Neophyte Senator Grace Poe, the topnotcher of the 2013 senatorial elections, was in second place with 15 percent.
Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago was third with 10 percent, followed by Senator Chiz Escudero with nine percent.
Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II, Aquino's running mate in the 2010 polls who lost to Binay, was only in fifth place with six percent.
Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was in sixth place with five percent, followed by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano and presidential sister/television host Kris Aquino, who both received four percent.
Among these personalities, only Binay and Cayetano have publicly declared their intention to run in the next presidential elections.
Reports have said that Binay is set to launch a new political party on June 12 for his presidential bid.