Poe, Villar lead 15 winning Senate bets Pulse Asia survey

Senators Grace Poe and Cynthia Villar are leading 15 of 70 senatorial candidates who have a statistical chance of winning should the May 2019, elections are held today, results of the Pulse Asia survey on Wednesday showed.

The nationwide survey conducted last Dec. 14-21, 2018 among 1,800 respondents found that the 15 probable winners are either incumbent or former members of Congress.

Holding on to the top spot is Senator Grace Poe whose re-election to the Senate is supported by 75.6 percent of Filipino registered voters.

In solo second place is Senator Cynthia Villar with an overall voter preference of 66.6 percent.

Sharing third to fourth places are Senator Juan Edgardo Angara (58.5 percent) and Taguig City Rep. Pia Cayetano (55.4 percent).

Former Senator Lito Lapid (49.8 percent), Senator Nancy Binay (46.7 percent), and Senator Aquilino Martin Pimentel III (45.5 percent) are in fifth to seventh places.

Completing the list of probable winners in the May 2019 senatorial elections are former Senator Sergio Osmeña III (38.8 percent, eighth to 13th places); former Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. (37.6 percent, eighth to 14th places); Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos (36.7 percent, eighth to 15th places); former Senator Jinggoy Estrada (36.3 percent, eighth to 15th places); former Bureau of Corrections chief Ronald dela Rosa (35.7 percent, eighth to 15th); former Transportation and Communications Secretary Manuel Roxas II (35 percent, eighth to 15th); Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito (33.6 percent, ninth to 16th places); and Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV (32.6 percent, 10th to 16th).

Meanwhile, 2.2 percent of registered voters refused to identify the senatorial bets they will vote for in May 2019, 1.6 percent were not inclined to support any of the candidates, and 1.1 percent were still unsure about whom to elect as senator.

As also found in the survey, 43 percent of Filipino registered voters already have 12 preferred senatorial bets for the 2019 midterm elections.

Across geographic areas and socioeconomic classes, it is only in Mindanao where more than half of registered voters (52 percent) have already identified the 12 senatorial bets they will vote for in the midterm elections.

In addition, Filipinos are presently naming a mean of nine and a median of 10 senatorial candidates whom they will elect in May 2019.