New Pulse poll out this week

MANILA, Philippines – A new survey on voters’ preference for presidential, vice presidential and senatorial candidates will be out this week.

“It will come out tomorrow or on Thursday, but we will try tomorrow,” Pulse Asia president Ronald Holmes told ABS-CBN News Channel yesterday.

Holmes said the new survey would show if the ratings of presidential frontrunner and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte have been affected by allegations of ill-gotten wealth, including the P211 million in bank deposits and P2.4 billion in previous bank transactions.

Duterte has denied the accusations.

Holmes said the new opinion poll was taken from April 26 to 29.

He said the accusations of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV against Duterte came out in media on April 27.

He said he is not sure if Pulse Asia would be able to do another survey before Monday’s voting.

“It takes time to process the data,” he added.

Analyzing last week’s survey results, Holmes said Duterte’s numbers in Metro Manila fell by nine percentage points, apparently due to his controversial rape joke.

In the vice presidential race, he said Sen. Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. kept his lead, although Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo was fast catching up.

He said Marcos led in Metro Manila.

“Preference for him represented protest by residents against the inadequacies of the Aquino administration.”

Holmes said Robredo and Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano did well in the Visayas and Mindanao due to “associated voting,” since their standard-bearers, former local government secretary Mar Roxas and Duterte, come from the regions.

“Visayas is Roxas’ bailiwick, Mindanao is Duterte’s stronghold,” he added.

Bongbong keeps lead

Marcos has continued to widen his lead based on a new non-commissioned survey conducted by pollster Pulso ng Pilipino.

The survey, conducted nationwide by the Issues and Advocacy Center from April 23 to 29, showed Marcos obtaining 31 percent, up from 29 percent in an earlier survey conducted from April 11 to 16.

Robredo’s ratings remain at 25 percent, followed by Sen. Francis Escudero with 18 percent.

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano placed fourth with 15 percent followed by senators Gringo Honasan and Antonio Trillanes IV with five and three percent, respectively.

Marcos continued to dominate Metro Manila with 38 percent and the rest of Luzon with 39 percent.

The survey showed that Marcos practically led in the level of preferences in all demographic sectors, with 27 percent from among the “A” and “B” classes, 24 percent from “C” class, 23 percent from the “D” class and 24 percent from those in the “E” class. 

IAC director Edgardo Malay said Marcos’ ratings manifested the start of his breaking away from the pack.