Drilon, Pangilinan take lead in mobile survey

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Franklin Drilon and former Sen. Francis Pangilinan topped the latest Bilang Pilipino SWS Mobile Survey released on Friday.

Drilon and Pangilinan, both from the Liberal Party, scored 63 percent and 61 percent, respectively. Sen. Vicente Sotto III of the Nationalist People's Coalition placed third with 56 percent.

PhilHealth Director Risa Hontiveros and Sen. Ralph Recto both scored 54 percent while former Sen. Panfilo Lacson and Philippine Red Cross President Richard Gordon obtained 52 percent and 51 percent, respectively.

Former Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, former Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri and Valenzuela Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian scored 50 percent each.

Completing the top 12 most preferred senatorial candidates are Sen. Sergio Osmena III (47 percent) and former TESDA chief Joel Villanueva (41 percent).

Boxing icon and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao landed on the 13th spot with 39 percent.

The survey was conducted on April 1 among a sample of 1,200 validated voters, 300 each in Metro Manila, Balance of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Out of the 1,200 original panel respondents, only 727 or 61 percent responded: 194 in Metro Manila, 178 in Balance Luzon, 193 in Visayas and 162 in Mindanao. The sampling error margins is at ±4 percent for national percentages.

"The sample was drawn using standard SWS sampling procedures, and was first interviewed face-to-face on March 8-11, 2016 to become the panel for the mobile survey," the SWS said.

The respondents were invited and then agreed to be members of a panel of respondents to receive and reply to a few survey questions each day through the mobile phones provided to them for free by Starmobile. — Patricia Lourdes Viray