MANILA, Philippines (4th UPDATE) – Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr appears to be inching his way into the vice presidency, gaining 3 percentage points from the previous January 2016 survey, the latest Pulse Asia survey shows.
Top contender Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero dropped by 4 percentage points from 33% in January to 29% in the February 15-20, 2016 poll. Marcos got 26% in the latest survey, up by 3 percentage points from January. Given the ±2% margin of error, Marcos and Escudero are practically tied in the vice presidential race.
Pulse Asia however explained there are "no significant changes in voter preferences" of the vice-presidential candidates between January and February 2016.
In the same survey, presidential bets Senator Grace Poe (26%) and Vice President Jejomar Binay (25%) were also tied.
In a statement, Marcos welcomed the results, saying, the latest survey is a "reaffirmation that our message for national unity is being accepted by the Filipino people as well as a reflection of the increasing clamor for genuine change through unity."
He continued, "But there's still a lot of work to be done before the real survey – the elections in May. We will strive harder to deliver our message to our countrymen, especially our less fortunate brothers and sisters."
Just recently, on March 2, after Marcos Jr said historians, not politicians, should judge his father's regime, professors of the Ateneo de Manila University said they oppose the "ongoing willful distortion of our history."
They deplored “the shameless refusal to acknowledge the crimes of the Martial Law regime” and said they “reject the revision of history, disturbing vision of the future, and shallow call for ‘unity’ being presented by Marcos Jr and like-minded candidates in the 2016 elections.”
Liberal Party and administration candidate Leni Robredo ranked behind the two top contenders, gaining one percentage point from her previous 18% in January. Senator Alan Peter Cayetano got 12%, lower than his previous 14%.
Other vice presidential candidates remained at single digit percentages: Senator Antonio Trillanes IV with 6% (up from 4%), Senator Gringo Honasan with 4% (lower than his previous 5%).
Pulse Asia said the rest of Filipino registered voters (3%) in the February poll "still do not know whom they will elect to the vice-presidential post/refuse to name their chosen candidate/are not voting for any vice-presidential candidate."
Preferences
Metro Manila equally prefer Escudero and Marcos (35% and 34%, respectively). The same holds true for the rest of Luzon (31% and 32%, respectively).
Both candidates are also popular among Class D (30% and 26%, respectively), which constitutes the bulk of Filipino voters.
Among Visayans, Escudero is preferred (29%), followed by Robredo (28%). Among Mindanaoans, Escudero and Cayetano are each favored by 22%, followed by Marcos (19%), and Robredo (16%).
The better off ABC classes prefer Marcos (44%), while the poorest class E prefer Escudero (32%).
Pulse Asia said that the unchanged voter preference from January's survey holds true not only at the national level, but in different geographic and socio-economic classes as well.
"Even the double-digit changes in voter preferences of Senators Escudero and Marcos in Class ABC are considered marginal" as they fall within the error margin, Pulse Asia said. – Rappler.com