IF elections were held today, it would be a tight race among five presidential candidates: Vice President Noli de Castro (18 percent), Sen. Francis Escudero (17 percent), former President Joseph Estrada (15 percent), Sen. Manuel Villar, Jr (14 percent) and Sen. Mar Roxas (13 percent), according to the latest Pulse Asia survey.
Dislodged from the top five is Sen. Loren Legarda whose rating in the May survey slid to 7 percent from the 12 percent she got in February.
The Pulse Asia survey showed Roxas as the biggest gainer: He gained five points from the February survey where he got only 8 percent.
Ana Marie Tabunda, Pulse Asia’s chief research fellow, said, however, the differences among the five top candidates are not that significant for now given the survey’s 6 percent margin of error. It is more or less a tie among the five, she said.
But Tabunda noted the improvement in Roxas’ showing. The senator, the Liberal Party’s presidential bet, only scored 6 percent in October 2008.
Tabunda said in a television interview that Roxas’ improved ratings could have been due to his “padyak” ads and his role in the investigation of the Legacy Plans mess. She can’t say, however, if his announcement that he would soon wed broadcast journalist Korina Sanchez had something to do with the increase in his ratings.
Following Legarda are Sen. Panfilo Lacson and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, both with 4 percent rating.
Sen. Richard Gordon, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, Chief Justice Reynato Puno and businessman Manny Pangilinan each got 1 percent.
A total of 1,200 adults participated in the May 4 to 17 survey.
