Grace Poe tops presidential poll anew

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Grace Poe continued to lead other presidential candidates in the latest Pulse Asia Research, Incorporated survey conducted from March 12 to 18.

Poe had a voter preference of 27% in Pulse Asia’s Pulso ng Bayan survey conducted from March 12-18. This is a 1-percentage point gain over her February rating.

Poe’s spokesperson, Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian, provided the presidential survey results to Rappler. He said the latest survey results show that public perception of Poe has not been swayed by “all the left-handed attacks thrown her way.”

“Senator Poe is thankful to the Filipino public as they continue to consolidate support behind her run. She will continue to drum up interest on her inclusive goverance platfrom of Gobyernong may Puso. Our campaign will continue to analyze the data from all these recent surveys and take heed through our next campaign steps,” Gatchalian said.

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo was second with 24%, a 3-percentage point increase, while Vice President Jejomar Binay, who was statistically tied with Poe in the February survey, lost 3 percentage points with a rating of 22%.

Voter preference for administration candidate Manuel “Mar” Roxas II was unchanged at 21%, as was the case of Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, at 3%.

The latest survey results also show that barely two months before the elections, 4% of voters remained undecided on their choice for president.

Among geographical locations, Poe dominated the National Capital Region with a rating of 30% – a 7-percentage point jump from February, and the balance Luzon, where she got to 34%-preference rating, up by 1 percentage point.

Duterte cornered Mindanao with 51%, a 6-percentage point gain.
Roxas is the favored candidate in the Visayas with 40%, up by 4 percentage points.

Among socioeconomic classes, Duterte and Poe were the top pick of the well-off Class ABC with 32% and 31%, respectively. They were the preferred candidates among Class D – Poe with a rating of 27%, up by 2 percentage points; and Duterte with 25%, a 3-percentage point gain.

Binay is the top candidate of the poorest Class E with a rating of 30%, followed by Roxas with 26%, a 7-percentage point surge.

The survey was conducted a week after the Supreme Court allowed Poe to run for president, and before the second presidential debate in Cebu City.

During and immediately before the survey period, among the major issues was the Commission on Audit report that Binay is administratively liable for grave misconduct, dishonesty and gross inexcusable negligence, graft and corrupt practices in connection with the allegedly overpriced Makati City Hall Parking Building II.

Pulse Asia Research Director Ana Maria Tabunda told Rappler that the survey has a sample size of 1,800 registered voters, with a ±2% error margin at the 95% confidence level.

Subnational estimates for the geographic areas have the following error margins at 95% confidence level: ± 6% for Metro Manila, ± 3% for the rest of Luzon and ± 5% for each of Visayas and Mindanao. – with reports from Camille Elemia/ Rappler.com