MANILA (Updated, 3:34 p.m.) -- With less than three months before the May 10 elections, Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III regained his lead over Senator Manuel Villar in the latest Pulse Asia survey released Friday.
Of the 1,800 respondents surveyed nationwide, 36 percent said they would vote for Aquino if the election were held during the survey period February 21 to 25.
Aquino’s closes rival, Villar, declined by six percent getting 29 percent voter support.
Former president Joseph Estrada earned 18 percent votes or six percent improvement from the January 22-26 survey.
The other candidates registered voter preferences of seven percent or less.
The Pulse Asia’s nationwide survey has a plus-minus two percent error margin at the 95 percent confidence level.
The survey firm said the survey was conducted while the ethics complaint against Villar, who has been accused of using his influence to profit from the alleged C-5 road controversy, was dominating the headlines.
In the vice presidential race, Aquino’s running mate Senator Manuel Roxas continued to enjoy a “sizeable lead” over other aspirants with 43 percent.
Villar’s running mate Loren Legarda, placed second with 27 percent, followed by Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay with 15 percent.
Other contenders obtained voter support of four percent or less.
Meanwhile, six percent of Filipino voters have yet to decide on their presidential preference or no preferred candidate during the survey period, while seven percent of the respondents have no vice presidential preference. (Sunnex)