There’s now further defining statistical proof that the elections on May 10 has turned into a two-man race.
The new data has the Liberal Party and Nacionalista Party standard bearers, Senator Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III and Senator Manuel ‘Manny’ Villar, uppermost in voters’ minds.
The new Social Weather Stations dipstick raises eyebrow as the data shows Mr. Villar now just 11 percentage point behind Aquino on the eve of the official 3-month campaign period.
Sen. Villar commissioned this post-Christmas survey done by the Social Weather Stations.
So it’s not surprising that the Aquino camp will be downplaying its veracity.
As the Philippine Daily Inquire reports:
Aquino was the choice of 44 percent of 2,100 respondents across the country in the SWS special yearend survey conducted from Dec. 27 to 28, 2009.
Villar obtained 33 percent, narrowing the gap with Aquino to 11 percent, and improving his ratings from the 27 percent he got in the earlier Dec. 5-10 SWS survey.
The survey was privately commissioned by House Minority Leader San Juan Rep. Ronaldo Zamora, a Villar ally, and was released to Senate reporters by Villar’s office.
A statement issued by Villar’s office said the senator “seems to have benefited from the shift in voting preference over the last three weeks in December as respondents start to put a premium on proven competence, leadership and accomplishments.”
A comparison of the two surveys showed that Villar had added six percentage points in the three weeks between the two survey dates.
Aquino obtained 46 percent in the earlier survey, leading Villar by 19 percentage points.
Deposed president Joseph Estrada remained in third place but shed one percentage point in the new SWS survey to 15 percent, from his previous 16 percent.
Laggards
In fourth place was Lakas-Kampi-CMD candidate Gilbert Teodoro, Aquino’s cousin, whose performance remained at 5 percent, similar to his December 5-10 rating.
Evangelist Bro. Eddie Villanueva’s ratings also did not move at 1 percent.
The independent candidates continued to lag behind.
Sen. Richard Gordon scored 0.5 percent from his earlier 0.9 percent, while Sen. Jamby Madrigal and John Carlos de los Reyes of Kapatiran tied with 0.4 percent each from their previous 0.2 percent and 0.1 percent, respectively.
From four percent in the earlier survey, only 1 percent of the respondents in the Dec. 27-28 survey were undecided.http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100109-246300/Villar-cuts-Aquino-lead
I think Villar’s vastly improved rating is a red flag for the Liberal Party, and its candidate to more effectively ‘evangelize’, to roll out their touted platform to bring a new day to Philippine politics and the Filipino nation.
These past three weeks the Villar camp, to its credit, has unveiled multi-pronged initiatives to court the voters in the lower income brackets: the economically and socially-marginalized.
The new TV and radio ads of the NP standard bearer focus rightly on grinding poverty as the issue and Villar as the candidate with the intimate experience, and track record, at overcoming poverty.
In contrast, Aquino is expending his political capital, mainly drawn from his late parents’ heroic legacies, by failing to speak out purposively on the socio-ecponomic issues and the Arroyo regime’s unresolved sins, past and continuing.
Villar has all but erased public memory of his alleged role in the C-5 double budget entry and tangent issues.
No wonder he’s now breathing down Aquino’s neck despite being considered by critics nd even administration insiders as the ‘real Arroyo candidate’ and ideological ally.
Noynoy may still be leading in the survey but as the adage goes: it ain’t over till the fat lady sings.
Popularity: 1% [?]
I just dont believe in Philippine surveys. They are there to
entice you to vote for a certain candidate. Vote what you want to
vote. Whatever the survey tells you.
NoyNoy said SWS surveys “…survey na nabibili siguro sa Quiapo.
Two things are scandalously glaring, if I may say.
We find a Noynoy trying real hard to rub into himself the ‘popularity’ of his mother, Cory and his father, Noynoy as though the whole state of affairs in our body polity is just one – FAMILY AFFAIR.
On the other hand, we find a Villar trying just as hard to associate himself with the poor as if indeed he is poor if only to court voter’s preference.
In both cases, voters will again mistakenly believe Noynoy as a hero too and that Villar is poor like them. Ours is a – DEMENTED PSYCHE.
I could only pray that we all vote wisely and intelligently.
Dear Ding,
That “fat lady singing” analogy may be the swan song for democracy sung at a remote congressional district in Pampanga that, should that particular gambit by Arroyo mature into a full nightmarish opera, may very well negate all these democratic initiatives to restore a trustworthy president in Malacanang.
As we are all focused on the presidential derby,the fat lady is focusing her “Do-re-mi” on another stage (or arena). That makes the congressional vote in our already kilometric ballot very important.
The danger here is that the 2010 presidential race may just be “plan B”.
Dean
Based on what I hear from many places in the country, it seems that Villar’s campaign strategy is paying off. Villar has touched base with small businesspeople and workers.
Noynoy Aquino until now is a muddle. He forgets that the electorate isn’t that dumb.
With all the media[hype] reporting, and their informative actions. Who are we to contemplate, for such a high office position. And true, it is our duty to do so.
We are, the great significance, for the decision factor. To carefully examine the details, to separate ourselves, from a certain individual that we have high hopes for. Our goal, is to place the best candidate, who will hold office for the people of our Nation. Without fairness, our common goal would be void.
Let us be, informative. To be without restrictions, to their debate(s). Best of all, listen well, with an open ears. Not to take sides, in the beginning. Then, our casting ballot, is what counts in the end.
For whatever it’s worth.I’m taking this with a grain of salt:
This raw info just in: Mr. Villar is supposedly paying top dollar to gain as many Facebook supporters as possible.
Manong Dean,
Tumbok mo.
Ikaw ang dapat manalo sapagkat ikaw ang matulungin sa amin na OFW mahal ka namin senador VILLAR ikaw ang pagasa ng sambayanan Filipino…..more power to you and …. GOD BLESS YOU………..