Roxas, standard-bearer of the ruling Liberal Party (LP), is now in a 鈥渟tatistical tie鈥� with Vice President Jejomar Binay and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, according to Pulse Asia.
Roxas gained 10 percentage points from the June survey, while Poe lost 4 points and Binay dropped 3 points. Duterte added 1 point.
LP stalwarts and supporters were in a celebratory mood on Monday following the release of the latest survey results, with one saying that Roxas is the 鈥渕an to beat鈥� and another claiming that the momentum is now on the side of the LP standard-bearer.
Twenty-six percent of the 2,400 respondents said Poe was their choice for President, if the elections were held this month.
Tied in second place were Roxas (20 percent), Binay (19 percent) and Duterte (16 percent).
The survey, conducted from Sept. 8 to Sept. 14, had a margin of error of plus-or-minus 2 percentage points.
Respondents were asked the question, 鈥淥f the people on this list, whom would you vote for President of the Philippines if the 2016 elections were held today and they were candidates?鈥�
Also on the list were Sen. Ferdinand 鈥淏ongbong鈥� Marcos Jr. (6 percent), Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada (5 percent), Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago (3 percent), former Sen. Panfilo Lacson (2 percent) and Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano (1 percent).
Poe鈥檚 strength
Poe was grateful anew to the people following her continued lead in surveys.
鈥淚t is from them that I draw my strength. More than just a measure of popularity, this is a reminder that we should always focus on performance and genuine service,鈥� Poe said in a statement.
Roxas thanked his supporters for the surge in his rating from June.
鈥淚鈥檓 thankful for the trust that the people have given me,鈥� he told reporters after addressing the convention of the National Unity Party (NUP) at Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel in Pasay City.
Straight path
鈥淚 take this (as a show of support) not only for me, but for daang matuwid (straight path) which we are pursuing and defending as we continue to expand it,鈥� he said, referring to the Aquino administration鈥檚 centerpiece anticorruption program.
鈥淭his also proves that our constituent[s] trust the straight path and President Aquino. They have seen and felt the progress we have experienced in the past years and they want to continue it. That鈥檚 how I look at the (survey) numbers.鈥�
鈥淭he people believe in the leadership of the President. They themselves witnessed the improvement in their lives,鈥� Roxas said.
Reacting to the survey, Binay said the situation was fluid considering the different results in recent surveys on voters鈥� preferred presidential candidate.
Asked whether he was threatened by Roxas鈥� continued climb in the surveys, the Vice President said he was a presidential candidate.
鈥淚f anything, I would continue to work hard and explain to the people,鈥� he told reporters after he spoke at the NUP convention.
鈥業 could be No. 1鈥�
Sought for comment, Duterte said, 鈥淚 do not care about surveys. I could be No. 1 tomorrow, but that will not convince me to run.鈥�
Binay and Roxas, along with Marcos, were at the convention to woo members of the NUP鈥攁 political party headed by former Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno, which aligned itself with the LP when Aquino came to power in 2010. Puno himself made a rare appearance in public, attending the convention.
Binay and Roxas did not see each other at the convention because the Vice President spoke ahead, some two hours before Roxas.
The NUP also invited Poe to attend the convention but the senator said she had told party officials as early as last week she would be unable to join them.
鈥楢swang鈥� of Capiz
鈥淲e already met a few weeks ago and we鈥檝e presented our platform of government to the public last Sept. 16,鈥� Poe said, referring to the platform she presented when she declared her run for the presidency.
At the NUP convention, Roxas seemed to be the favorite of the party given the enthusiastic welcome it gave him, with one official introducing him as the 鈥淎swang of Capiz.鈥� Roxas hails from Capiz province, a place, according to the superstitious, where many aswang (a monster in Philippine folklore) can be found.
Roxas himself said he must be NUP鈥檚 choice for President considering that many of the party members stayed behind to listen to him speak, when he was the last speaker鈥攅liciting cheers from the audience.
Spreading projects
In his speech, he said the Aquino administration, in keeping with the daang matuwid policy, had been fair in giving out projects 鈥渨ithout questioning what was the vest of the political leadership in the area.鈥�
He said that since 2009, the capital outlay, which included the funds allocated for NUP lawmakers, and that for this year, amounted to P580 billion.
Roxas urged the party to continue its alliance with the LP beyond 2016. 鈥淚 am asking for your sweet yes so that the daang matuwid can be continued in 2016.鈥�
For his part, Binay gave NUP a preview of his administration and crowed about his ability as an executive to implement his programs.
Man to beat
In the House of Representatives, Iloilo Rep. Jerry Tre帽as, chair of the LP membership and organizing committee, said Roxas was the man to beat.
He said the huge jump in Roxas鈥� rating should put him on the top spot if one were to take into account the ruling party鈥檚 political machinery and strong alliances with other parties.
鈥淩oxas is now the top candidate among the front-runners because he has the LP as a political party. We are not only the biggest political party in the country but we are also the most organized,鈥� he said.
Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice, chair of the LP political affairs committee, said the latest survey indicated that the advantage had swung in Roxas鈥� favor.
鈥淭he momentum is now on the side of Secretary Mar at 20 points, an increase of 100 percent, while both Senator Poe and VP Binay dropped,鈥� he said.
鈥淢y prediction is Secretary Mar surpassing Senator Poe by the next quarter鈥檚 survey,鈥� Erice said.
Tre帽as said the LP鈥檚 political organization would not only guarantee its candidates鈥� presence in the remotest barangays (villages) 鈥渂ut it will also ensure that all polling precincts are well-manned to protect their votes.鈥�
Phenomenal increase
Asked about the results of the survey, Akbayan Rep. Barry Gutierrez, whose party is in a coalition with the LP, said, 鈥淭his is the fourth poll in the past week that establishes a phenomenal increase in Secretary Mar鈥檚 numbers.鈥�
Gutierrez said Roxas鈥� showing in the survey should erase any 鈥渓ingering doubts鈥� about the effectiveness of his campaign, following President Aquino鈥檚 endorsement in July.
鈥淲e remain humbled and grateful for the unceasing support of so many of our fellow Filipinos for Sec Mar and the daang matuwid in their unbending commitment to serve the Filipino people,鈥� he said.
Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said Roxas鈥� 10-point climb in the latest Pulse Asia survey showed a positive trend for the LP standard-bearer.
鈥淚 think what is going to benefit him more is the fact that he鈥檚 with the administration,鈥� said Abad, citing what he called the 鈥渁dvantage of incumbency.鈥�
Close race
Para帽aque Rep. Gustavo Tambunting, a supporter of Binay, said the survey showed that the 2016 presidential race would be close as all candidates were 鈥渂unched up.鈥�
鈥淭here will still be movements up and down. But what鈥檚 interesting is Poe鈥檚 share has gone down, which means she is not unstoppable after all,鈥� Tambunting said.鈥擶ith a report from Inquirer Research
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