Grace Poe still top choice for vice president – SWS

MANILA, Philippines – Neophyte Senator Grace Poe continues to be the top choice of Filipino voters for vice president, according to the results of the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) released on Wednesday, June 24.

Based on the Second Quarter 2015 Social Weather Survey conducted in June, first reported in BusinessWorld, Poe obtained 21% of voters’ preference, down 5 percentage points from 26% in March.

Poe also topped the latest SWS survey on voter’s preference for president.

Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II is second with 12%, the same figure as in March; followed by Senator Francis Escudero and Vice President Jejomar Binay who are tied for 3rd place with 7%.

Former president now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, and former senator Panfilo Lacson all obtained 3%; while Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago and Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano both obtained 2% of voters’ preference.

While those who said they had no vice presidential candidate rose slightly to 8% from 7%, those who are undecided – they either don’t know yet or refused to give a choice – jumped to 22% in June from 13% in March, a 7-percentage point increase.

The respondents were asked, “Sino naman po ang malamang ninyong iboboto bilang BISE PRESIDENTE ng Pilipinas, kung ang eleksyon ay gaganapin ngayon? (ONE ANSWER ONLY)”

(Who are you likely to vote for vice president of the Philippines if elections were held today?)

The SWS said the question is not commissioned, and is done on its own initiative and released as a public service.

From the time the last survey was conducted in March to the latest survey period, President Benigno Aquino III confirmed his continuing discussions with Poe in relation to the 2016 elections, but would not say what position he had in mind for her. (READ: Aquino, Poe in talks on 2016 polls) 

Poe is being eyed to run in tandem with Roxas, the presumptive Liberal Party standard bearer. Aquino had said that he would announce his “anointed” 2016 candidates after his final State of the Nation Address in July.

The survey was conducted from June 5 to 8, among 1,200 adults – 300 each in Metro Manila, Balance of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The SWS said its survey results had sampling error margins of 3% for national percentages, and 6% for geographical locations.

The SWS said the area estimates were weighted by National Statistics Office medium-population projections for 2015 to obtain the national estimates. – Rappler.com