NOYNOY-MAR TANDEM TOPS NEW PULSE ASIA SURVEY / GIBO UNFAZED BY POLL
MANILA, NOVEMBER 17, 2009 (STAR) Liberal Party presidential standard-bearer Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III is an overwhelming favorite to win next year’s presidential polls, according to the latest Pulse Asia survey released yesterday.Aquino continued to dominate presidential polls, leading by a “big margin” over Nacionalista Party standard-bearer Sen. Manuel Villar, Pulse Asia’s October survey on Filipinos’ Preferences for the May 2010 Elections showed.
Aquino attracted 44 percent support in a poll of preferred presidents, with Villar a distant second with 19 percent.
The survey of 1,800 adults around the country was taken in late October and was the first by Pulse Asia since Aquino announced his presidential bid in September.
Sen. Francis Escudero was next with 13 percent followed by former President Joseph Estrada who obtained 11 percent.
In a worrying development for President Arroyo’s ruling coalition, its candidate Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro attracted just two percent support.
His dismal ratings came even after he took a high-profile role leading disaster relief efforts for two deadly storms that hit the country from late September and claimed more than 1,100 lives.
Pulse Asia said the clamor for clean governance was the top reason for Aquino’s strong support.
“The reason most-often cited in expressing a voting preference for a possible presidential candidate is the latter’s clean public record or, alternatively, not being corrupt, ” Pulse Asia said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Vice President Noli de Castro attracted four percent of voters while other presidential hopefuls like Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando and Jesus is Lord (JIL) founder Eddie Villanueva got one percent each.
Less than one in 10 Filipinos or four percent does not have a favored presidential candidate at the moment, the survey firm also said.
Aquino, the son of Philippine democracy icon, former President Corazon Aquino, has recorded few political achievements during his 11 years in Congress, but he is immensely popular because of his mother, who led the “People Power” revolution that ended dictator Ferdinand Marcos’ reign in 1986.
Her death in August triggered a huge outpouring of support for the Aquino family and her son used that emotion to transform himself from a political lightweight into a presidential frontrunner.
Roxas tops VP bets
Meanwhile, in a poll of preferred vice presidents, Sen. Manuel Roxas II topped the latest Pulse Asia survey, with a 37-percent support.
Almost four in 10 Filipinos or 37 percent would vote for Roxas as vice president if the May 2010 elections were held at the time of the survey, Pulse Asia also said in its October Ulat ng Bayan survey.
Sen. Loren Legarda was in second place with 23 percent while Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay and Vice President De Castro tied at third with 13 percent and 11 percent, respectively.
The survey found six other probable vice presidential bets scoring voter preferences of four percent or less.
Senators Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada and Ramon Revilla Jr. obtained four percent each.
Receiving one percent each were Sen. Richard Gordon and Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno.
Also included in the survey was Finance Secretary Margarito Teves who received 0.1 percent of the respondents’ vote.
The survey showed that four percent of Filipinos are not inclined to support any vice presidential candidate.
Pulse Asia said Roxas led the other vice presidential hopefuls in several geographic areas and socioeconomic classes (32 percent to 49 percent).
“In balance Luzon and Mindanao, however, his lead over Legarda (32 percent versus 25 percent and 33 percent versus 28 percent, respectively) is a marginal one, i.e. within the sample’s margin of error,” the survey firm said.
Noynoy, Mar elated over survey results
Meanwhile, Aquino and Roxas expressed elation yesterday over the results of the nationwide Pulse Asia showing them leading over other candidates but said they were bracing themselves for attacks from political opponents for being the frontrunners.
Aquino and Roxas, who were declared the official presidential and vice presidential candidates, respectively of the LP in simple ceremonies in their headquarters in Cubao, Quezon City, denounced the issues being raised against them but said they were ready to face detractors who had become fiercer because they had been topping the surveys.
In his acceptance speech, Aquino recognized the challenges and that the coming polls would test the LP.
But Aquino said he was confident that the party would be able to withstand criticism and unfounded allegations hurled by its opponents.
“We cannot match the wealth of our opponent, but we rely on a God who tells us to do what is right,” he said in a veiled reference to Nacionalista Party bet Villar.
Aquino said most of the allegations against him were products of the imagination and baseless.
He also lashed out against some of his political rivals for coming out with bogus surveys on the presidential candidates.
“The election is still far but they’ve been throwing various allegations against me. They cannot elevate the campaign to a higher level so the solution is to degrade me, throw mud at me and downgrade their opponents,” Aquino said in his speech.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for Aquino, lawyer Edwin Lacierda, had been designated to answer queries from the media. After the convention, it was Lacierda and not Aquino who was present during the press conference that Aquino failed to attend. But Aquino later answered questions from the media at the session hall of the Senate. – With Aurea Calica, AP Dennis Carcamo
Gibo not bothered by low survey rating, says no way to go but up By Jaime Laude (The Philippine Star) Updated November 17, 2009 12:00 AM
MANILA, Philippines - Undaunted by his poor rating at the latest Pulse Asia presidential survey that was dominated by his cousin Liberal Party standard-bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, resigned Defense chief Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said there is no way to go but up.
“It’s not that high because you could not just automatically go to grade seven unless you pass through grade one. So let’s wait,” Teodoro said in Filipino, adding that his two percent approval rating will improve in the days ahead prior to the conduct of elections next year.
However, Teodoro’s two percent was enough to overtake Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Bayani Fernando, who has not given up his plan to run for president despite his measly one percent approval rating.
Teodoro said he will start going around the country for public exposure where he will lay down his political platforms and agenda of good governance.
He was with Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita in Batangas yesterday afternoon to meet with provincial and local leaders.
Malacañang was also unfazed by his poor showing in the latest Pulse Asia survey, saying his ratings would pick up once he begins his provincial sorties.
Presidential Adviser for Political Affairs Gabriel Claudio said Teodoro’s “only problem is his lack of exposure and people’s awareness of him.”
“This (lack of exposure) is mainly due to his sense of propriety and inhibition not to project himself as a candidate and a politician while still secretary of national defense,” Claudio said.
“He even refused to take advantage of the recent calamities to gain publicity and media mileage,” he said.
Teodoro resigned yesterday morning as defense secretary to pursue his presidential bid under the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD. He will be proclaimed as the Lakas-Kampi-CMD presidential standard-bearer along with his running mate, actor turned politician Edu Manzano, during the party’s national convention on Thursday.
Now that he has stepped down as defense chief, the administration expects Teodoro to be able to maximize his exposure as a political contender.
“Once seen and heard by people, Gibo has no problem connecting with them and impressing them as the best, brightest, and most qualified among the presidentiables,” Claudio said.
Passing the DND torch
National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales has taken over Teodoro’s post in an acting capacity for the remaining seven months of the Arroyo administration.
In turnover rites presided by Ermita held at the Camp Aguinaldo’s Officers Clubhouse, Teodoro was conferred with a degree of Grand Commander, an award given by President Arroyo for his sterling leadership of the defense department for more than two years.
As defense chief, the administration bet also chairs the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) in a concurrent capacity.
“Thank you each and everyone of you. My being the defense chief was some of the best times of my life,” Teodoro said in his farewell speech.
For his part, Gonzales said he expects that he can do good things at the department in the next seven months, adding that he did not think twice when Ermita called him and offered him the post.
“Perhaps we can do things in the last two minutes,” said Gonzales whose new assignment was criticized by cause-oriented groups and other sectors.
“Expect exciting things to happen at defense department under the leadership of Secretary Gonzales,” Ermita said.
All eyes on Gonzales
But Sen. Rodolfo Biazon was not too keen on Gonzales’ appointment.
The former Armed forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief urged the military and the police to be vigilant against possible moves by the new DND chief to exert his influence in propagating his personal advocacy on change of government.
“The soldiers of our republic must be aware of their constitutional duty,” Biazon said, raising three crucial issues against Gonzales, who had been very vocal on the need for change in the form of government that can only be attained through a revolution to be led by the AFP.
“Now, I’m therefore asking the AFP to be wary and to clearly understand their mandate under the Constitution, that is to defend the Constitution, be careful about receiving orders from Secretary Gonzales,” he said.
Biazon is also concerned over Gonzales’ previous statements on a no-election scenario, urging the public to be vigilant.
“The appointee may not be submitted by the Executive to the Commission on Appointments process leaving the floor of the Senate and the budget deliberation as the venue for legislative oversight,” he added. – With Christina Mendez, Paolo Romero
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2009 by
PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All rights reserved