MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Grace Poe remains in the lead in a women-dominated opinion poll for the upcoming senatorial race in May next year.
Based on a Pulse Asia survey conducted from September 1 to 7 via face-to-face interviews, 70.1 percent of respondents said they will vote for Poe.
Poe, a former schoolteacher and adopted daughter of Philippine movie stars, also got an awareness rating of 98 percent. She will run for her second term next year.
Sen. Cynthia Villar—the richest member of the Senate and wife of real estate tycoon and former Senate President Manny Villar—climbed to the second spot after garnering a 57.7 percent approval from voters polled by Pulse Asia.
Villar dislodged Rep. Pia Cayetano (Taguig), who ranked third in the latest opinion survey at 54.4 percent.
Behind Cayetano are Sen. Nancy Binay (50.6 percent), presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio (39.5 percent) and Sen. Sonny Angara (37.1 percent).
Completing the “Magic 12” are former senator Jinggoy Estrada (34.6 percent), Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos (32.6 percent), former Senate President Koko Pimentel (32.4 percent), and former senators Lito Lapid (32.2 percent), Serge Osmeña (29.8 percent) and Mar Roxas (27.7 percent).
"Only 3.6 percent of Filipinos do not support any of the probable senatorial bets included in this survey probe, refuse to name their preferred senatorial candidates, or still do not know whom they will vote for in May 2019," Pulse Asia said.
In a report published early this month, analysts at Fitch Solutions Macro Research said the upcoming May 2019 mid-term elections could see the Senate fill up with allies of President Rodrigo Duterte, given that the opposition Liberal Party has been “weakened considerably.”
But the Fitch unit warned that while the policy-making process is likely to improve should Duterte's allies gain more seats in the Upper House, this would threaten the system of checks and balances in the Philippines.
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