Incumbent, ex-senators top poll survey

MANILA, Philippines - Former and incumbent senators topped the latest senatorial survey of Pulse Asia as commissioned by television network ABS-CBN.

Leading the list of probable winners in the 2016 senatorial race is Sen. Vicente Sotto III, who garnered 72.6 percent voting preference for a statistical ranking of 1st place.

Former senator Panfilo Lacson came in second with 65.3 percent voting preference for a statistical ranking of 2nd to 3rd place, followed by Sen. Ralph Recto with 62.9 percent (2nd to 6th places) and former senator Francis Pangilinan with 58 percent (3rd to 6th places).

Senate President Franklin Drilon was tied with former senator Juan Miguel Zubiri at 57.5 percent for a fight from 3rd to 7th places.

Incumbent Sen. Sergio Osmeña III has 52.1 percent for the 5th to 9th places, while boxing icon and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao obtained 50.2 percent (7th to 10th). Former senator Richard Gordon, current Philippine Red Cross chairman, was also rated for the 7th to 10th slots with 49.7 percent.

Completing the so-called “Magic 12” were incumbent Sen. Teofisto Guingona III with 44.8 percent (8th to 10th places); former justice secretary Leila de Lima with 37.9 percent (11th to 12th places) and former Akbayan representative Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel with 36.5 percent (11th to 12th places).

Other senatorial aspirants included in the poll were: Manila Vice Mayor Francisco Domagoso (30.4 percent, 13th); former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Francis Tolentino (23.4 percent, 14th-18th), TV host Edu Manzano (22.2 percent, 14th-18th), Valenzuela Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian (22 percent, 14th-18th), former Pampanga governor Mark Lapid (20.4 percent, 14th-18th), former TESDA chief Joel Villanueva (19.7 percent, 14th-19th), actress-turned-politician Alma Moreno (15.4 percent, 18th-20th) and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez (14.6 percent, 19th-20th).

The survey, taken from Nov. 8 to 15, had 1,200 respondents nationwide. It has an error margin of plus or minus three percentage points. 

Meanwhile, Domagoso vowed to work harder to improve his chances of winning a Senate seat in the 2016 elections.

Domagoso, also known as Isko Moreno, jumped to the 13th place in the latest Pulse Asia Survey, up from September’s 17th place. He is running as an independent candidate.

“It is a big honor on my part, who does not belong to a well-known and popular family, to be included in the so-called winning circle. But my journey is still very far and even if the road is narrow, I will continue to believe that I will be given a chance to serve our country,” Domagoso, also the president of the Vice Mayors League of the Philippines (VMLP), said.

He agreed with the observation that he would have placed higher in the survey if only people were familiar with his real surname. – With Jose Rodel Clapano