UNA not confident in survey results for Senate race

MANILA -- Officials of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) welcomed yet felt cautious over the fresh survey results showing five of its candidates landing a spot in the 12 senatorial seats up for grabs in the May midterm elections.

The January 17-19 survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed San Juan Representative JV Ejercito (4th), re-electionist Senator Gregorio Honasan II (5th-6th), former senator Juan Miguel Zubiri (7th), Cagayan Representative Jack Enrile (8th-9th) and Nancy Binay (12th) making it to the circle of probable winners.

Senators Loren Legarda and Francis Escudero, guest candidates of UNA and the administration party Team Pinoy, took the top two spots in the poll while another common bet Grace Poe-Llamanzares barged into contention after tying Senator Antonio Trillanes IV in the 10th-11th spot.

"We shouldn't look at it as a PR (public relations) tool but as an analytical tool," said UNA secretary general Toby Tiangco on Tuesday, adding the survey results should serve as guide for candidates on how to improve their campaign strategy.

The election campaign period will kick off on February 9.

The LP, meanwhile, said the result was an indication of public confidence in the capacity of President Benigno Aquino III's candidates to continue his reform agenda.

"We are confident that we will win the majority in the upcoming elections, forming a Senate that will truly work to move the country forward along the straight path," said Senator Franklin Drilon, Team Pinoy campaign manager.

Senators Alan Peter Cayetano, Aquilino Pimentel III, Trillanes, and former Representative Cynthia Villar represent the administration slate in the so-called "Magic 12" but Tiangco was quick to note that these are not members of the ruling Liberal Party.

Cayetano, Villar and Trillanes belong to the Nacionalista Party, which signed a coalition agreement with the LP for this year's polls.

Pimentel, on the other hand, joined the Aquino ticket after not yielding to the decision of UNA to field Zubiri, whom he accused of cheating in the 2007 senatorial elections. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)