Only Mindanao keeping Binay on top – Laylo survey

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Vice President Jejomar Binay’s solid numbers in Mindanao have kept the beleaguered presidential wannabe on top of a new poll on the 2016 presidential elections even as his closest rival, Senator Grace Poe, topped or tied him in all other areas.

Binay’s 41% compared to Poe’s dismal 10% in the country’s southernmost island saved him in the latest poll conducted May 8-18 by Laylo Research Strategies, the resident pollster of The Standard newspaper for the 2016 polls. 

Binay registered a national preference rating of 28%. It is a slim and precarious lead compared to the 24% of Poe, who has yet to announce her plans in 2016 but has made moves against Binay.

Poe led Binay in the National Capital Region (30% vs 25%), Northern and Central Luzon (29% vs 26%), Southern Luzon (27% vs 21%), and the Visayas (27% and 21%).

Binay led polls conducted in rural areas while Poe led in urban areas.

“Notwithstanding the ferocity of the attacks and the enormous amount of taxpayers’ money utilized against Vice President Binay, he humbly remains the top choice for president,” said Binay’s spokesperson for political concerns Rico Quicho, celebrating the survey results.

Quicho noted that the survey was conducted when documents from the Anti-Money Laundering Council were leaked to show Binay’s alleged US dollar accounts. “This shows without a doubt the political motivation behind the move to freeze the bank accounts of the Vice President based on false and misleading conclusions,” he said. 

The survey has an overall error margin of +/- 2.6 for the national and +/- 6 for the regional results, based on the newspaper story. Except in Mindanao, these margins put Binay and Poe’s numbers at a virtual statistical tie.

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte fared better than Poe in Mindanao with his 21% – despite the popularity of Poe’s father, the late actor Fernando Poe Jr, in the island.

Duterte continues to gain popularity as a presidential contender even as he sends mixed signals on his 2016 plans. 

Laylo Research Strategies did surveys for various political parties in the 2013 senatorial polls. Administration candidates who got copies of the survey also used them to compare results with those of polling firms Pulse Asia and Social Weather Stations.

Duterte and former president Joseph Estrada are tied at 3rd place with their national rating of 10%. Visayas politicians Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II and Senator Miriam Santiago are tied at 5th with their 8%.

Tailing behind in the survey are senators Francis Escudero, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Alan Cayetano and former senator Panfilo Lacson. – Rappler.com