Team PNoy to work hard for 3 bets out of ‘Magic 12’

IT’S already a 9-3 win for Team PNoy if the basis would be the recent survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS), but the administration slate is determined to keep pushing for a sweep of the senatorial elections on May 13.

“We have to push members of Team PNoy who are in the Magic 12 higher in the rankings in order to have space for the other three members of Team PNoy space to get in. There are still 76 days to work on this by improving the awareness of Team PNoy candidates,” campaign spokesperson and House Deputy Speaker Erin Tañada said in a text message.

The survey conducted right after the campaign kickoff last February 12 showed the candidates of the administration coalition were ahead of those running under the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) of Vice President Jejomar Binay, former President Joseph Estrada, and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.

For one, Team PNoy senatorial candidate and presidential cousin Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV already made it to the so-called Magic 12. He ranked 9-10 with at least 42 percent of the respondents saying they will vote for him.

Cagayan Representative Jack Enrile, son of the Senate President, meanwhile, fell to the 13th spot from his 8-9 rank in the previous survey in January. The younger Enrile is running under UNA although his party, the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), is in a coalition agreement with the ruling Liberal Party (LP).

Aurora Representative Sonny Angara also returned to the Magic 12 after placing no. 13 in the January survey. He dislodged re-electionist Senator Gregorio Honasan II.

Voter preference for Honasan dropped to 34 percent from 48 percent last month.

Team PNoy candidates occupy the first six slots in the survey. They are Senators Loren Legarda, Francis “Chiz” Escudero, and Alan Peter Cayetano, and former Las Piñas City Representative Cynthia Villar, former censors board chief Grace Poe-Llamanzares, and Senator Aquilino Pimentel III.

In 7th place is UNA candidate Nancy Binay, daughter of the Vice President. She is followed by Team PNoy bet Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

The last four slots are occupied by UNA’s San Juan City Representative JV Ejercito, Team PNoy’s Aquino and Angara, and UNA’s Juan Miguel Zubiri.

This means only former senators Jamby Madrigal and Jun Magsaysay, and former Akbayan party-list Representative Risa Hontiveros are out of the Magic 12 for the LP-led slate.

“We need to keep pushing the last three ones who are in striking distance. We need to give them more sunlight so to speak,” Team PNoy spokesperson and Marikina Representative Miro Quimbo said in a text message.

UNA has yet to issue a statement regarding the latest survey.

Earlier, UNA accused Team PNoy campaign manager Senator Franklin Drilon of pushing a 12-0 sweep as this would help reclaim his old post as Senate President in the 16th Congress in July.

Drilon denied this on Monday, saying he would rather focus on discussing the platform of Team PNoy. (Kathrina Alvarez/Sunnex)