With only 13 days to go before the May 10 elections, Liberal Party (LP) presidential bet Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III’s lead over his closest pursuer climbed to double digits.

In the nationwide Social Weather Stations (SWS)-BusinessWorld survey conducted from April 16 to 19 with 2,400 respondents, Aquino’s lead over Nacionalista Party (NP) candidate Senator Manuel Villar Jr. increased to 12 percent, from nine percent in the survey held in March.

Aquino’s percentage increased by a point with 38 percent from 37 percent compared to a two-point decline, from 28 percent to 26 percent, for Villar.

The respondents were particularly asked, “Kung ang eleksyon ay gaganapin ngayon, sino ang pinakamalamang ninyong iboboto bilang Presidente, Bise-Presidente, mga Senador, at party-list ng Pilipinas. Narito ang listahan ng mga kandidato.” (“If the elections were held today, whom would you most probably vote for as President, Vice-President, Senators, and party-list of the Philippines?”)

They were instructed to shade the oval beside the name of the persons they would most likely vote for in a prepared ballot with the candidates’ names.

Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) standard-bearer Joseph Estrada remains in third place, but his percentage decreased from 19 percent last month to 17 percent.

Meanwhile, Lakas-Kampi-CMD presidential bet Gilbert Teodoro Jr.’s percentage increased to nine percent from 6 percent in the previous survey.

At fifth place is Senator Richard Gordon (Bagumbayan), who lost one percentage point, bringing his percentage-point to two percent.

Bangon Pilipinas bet Bro. Eduardo Villanueva's percentage remain unchanged at two percent, sharing the fifth spot with Gordon.

Independent candidate Senator Jamby Madrigal (0.3 percent) is now at sixth place, from eighth place in the March survey.

Independent candidate Jesus Nicanor Perlas and Olongapo City Councilor John Carlos delos Reyes (Ang Kapatiran) both got 0.2 percent.

Meanwhile, six percent of the respondents were undecided. This include those who voted for disqualified candidate Vetellano Acosta and responses that could not be properly read.

Binay climbs to 2nd behind Mar
In the vice presidential race, LP bet Manuel “Mar” Roxas II maintained his lead despite a three-percentage point drop in his score from 42 to 39 percent.

At second place is Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino vice presidential bet Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay, who zoomed past erstwhile second placer Senator Loren Legarda. Binay got 25 percent, while Legarda closely trails at 24 percent.

Former Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chief Bayani Fernando stayed at three percent, Lakas-Kampi-CMD bet Eduardo Manzano lost a point to two percent, former Securities and Exchange Commission chief Bangon Pilipinas candidate Perfecto Yasay was steady at one percent, Ang Kapatiran’s Dominador Chipeco Jr. declined from 0.4 to 0.3 percent, and Kilusang Bagong Lipunan’s Jay Sonza slightly increased to 0.4 from 0.3 percent.

In the senatorial derby, Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. (Lakas-Kampi-CMD) still leads with 54 percent, followed by Sen. Jinggoy Estrada (Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino) with 53 percent.

They both gained a point each from the previous survey.

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago (People’s Reform Party) maintained her rank at third (43 from 44 percent), while Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile (Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino) gained a point to join Senator Pia Cayetano (Nacionalista Party) in fourth to fifth places.

SWS noted that Cayetano’s score declined by six points to tie with Enrile at 36 percent.

Former senator Franklin Drilon (Liberal Party) slipped a point to 35 percent to land in sixth place, while former senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III (Nationalist People’s Coalition) got 33 percent and former National Economic Development Authority Dir. Gen. Ralph Recto got 30 percent, maintaining their seventh and eight places, respectively.

Independent candidate, former senator Sergio Osmeña III, formerly 11th, rose to ninth (29 percent); followed by Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (Kilusang Bagong Lipunan) with 28 percent, down a point to 10th place, and Senator Lito Lapid (Lakas-Kampi-CMD) with 27 percent, at 11th place.

In 12th and last spot was former Cavite Rep. Gilbert Remulla (Nacionalista Party) with 21 percent. (Czarina Nicole O. Ong)

Erap believes Puno survey is more credible
Former President Joseph "Erap" Estrada believes that the presidential poll survey of Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno is more credible than the result of Social Weather Station (SWS), where he remained on third spot.

"6,000 ang respondents (in Puno's survey), respondents of SWS are only 1,400. That’s more credible than the SWS,” Estrada told reporters in Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) headquarters in Shaw Blvd., Mandaluyong City before going to a sortie in Masbate Monday.

A nationwide survey reportedly commissioned by Puno showed that Estrada overtook Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. of the Nacionalista Party (NP) for the second spot in the presidential race while Liberal Party (LP)'s Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III remained on top with 41 percent.

The survey was conducted from April 18 to 22 among 6,600 respondents with a two percent margin of error. Estrada, who got the nod of 17 percent in the SWS respondents in its latest survey results last week, explained he does not trust the methodologies applied by the private polling firm considering its past reviews.

"I don’t believe that. In 2004 elections, they say in exit polls that GMA (President Arroyo) will win in Metro Manila. What happened? They lost! Out of 17 municipalities and cities, she only won in one town... Las Piñas. That's glaring error of SWS," he said.

"It turned out the other way, FPJ (Fernando Poe Jr.) won a landslide victory in Metro Manila," he said. (Rio Rose Ribaya)