De Lima elated by poll results showing she’s in
JUSTICE Secretary Leila de Lima on Wednesday said the results of the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey placing her in the Top 10 potential senatorial candidates was “heartening.”
“It’s a very heartening piece of good news. But there will be an announcement in the next few days, so I don’t want to be preempting the official announcement from the party of the administration,” De Lima told reporters.
“If I’m included in the official ticket, that would mean I’m 100 percent sure already that I will run. I’m just awaiting the announcement and then I will make a categorical acceptance,” she said.
While she had yet to declare her political plans, De Lima joined the Top 12 (at No. 7) dominated by incumbent and former senators if elections were held today.
Some 1,200 adults were polled in Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, and the Visayas and Mindanao from Sept. 2 to 5. They were asked, “Who would you vote for senator if elections were held today?”
Who else scored
Senators Tito Sotto, Ralph Recto, Franklin Drilon, Bongbong Marcos and Sergio Osmeña, as well as former Senators Panfilo Lacson, Francis Pangilinan, Miguel Zubiri and Richard Gordon scored high in voting preference.
Apart from them, boxing icon, Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao, and Las Piñas Rep. Mark Villar, also made it to the Top 12.
De Lima told reporters after the Department of Justice budget hearing of the Senate committee on finance that her handling of high-profile cases in the last few years had contributed to the surge in her popularity.
But she said the question was whether the “high-awareness rating” will be converted to actual votes come Election Day.
“One can have a high-awareness rating but in terms of conversion to actual votes later, will it be the same?” she said.
De Lima said she would give her categorical answer on her senatorial bid once the administration releases its official senatorial ticket.
“Let us wait for the administration’s official announcement. I don’t want to preempt it,” De Lima said.
De Lima, along with Health Secretary Janette Garin and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chair Francis Tolentino, are among the Cabinet officials reportedly being eyed in the Liberal Party’s senatorial slate for the 2016 elections.
Sotto No. 1
Sotto ranked highest with 54 percent, followed by Lacson (47 percent), Recto (43 percent), and Drilon, the Senate President, (42 percent).
Both Marcos and Pangilinan, who quit early this month as presidential assistant for food security and agricultural modernization, ranked fifth and sixth, garnering 40 percent.
De Lima, who is being floated as a possible administration senatorial candidate, ranked seventh with 33 percent.
Close on her heels were Zu- biri (32 percent), Pacquiao (30 percent), Gordon (29 percent) and Osmeña (28 percent).
Rounding out the Top 12 was Villar, son of former Senate President Manuel Villar Jr. and incumbent Sen. Cynthia Villar.
Ranked 13th and 14th were Sen. Teofisto Guingona III and Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo, who is being wooed by the ruling party to be Mar Roxas’ running mate in the presidential election in May.
President Aquino’s sister, TV host Kris Aquino, ranked 26th with 7 percent.
Lawyer Harry Roque Jr. and Jose Rizalito David, who filed a disqualification case against Sen. Grace Poe, ranked 41st to 42nd, respectively, each with 1 percent.