Duterte not a runaway winner yet—Pulse Asia president

Despite his two-digit lead in the latest survey and with only five days before the elections, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte could not yet be considered a runaway winner in the presidential race, Pulse Asia's president said Wednesday.

“I will not say so kasi nananatili ang level of preference. Wala naman paglawak ang kanyang lamang sa ibang kandidato,” Pulse Asia president Ronald Holmes said in an interview with GMA News "News To Go."

Duterte got 33 percent in the latest Pulse Asia survey commissioned by ABS-CBN.

Holmes said Duterte maintained his solid leads in Mindanao and in the National Capital Region, while having packets of support in Visayas.

“Ang pinakamalaki sa kanyang suporta ay nasa Mindanao at 'pag hinimay natin 'yan, noon pa man may pagkakataon din na may lamang siya sa Visayas pero ang kanyang main geographical support ay nasa Mindanao at NCR,” Holmes said.

The mayor's voters preference rating was unchanged from the last Pulse Asia survey.

The latest survey, conducted on April 26 to 29, sampled 4,000 registered voters with a margin of error of ±1.5%.

Liberal Party standard bearer Mar Roxas got 22 percent in the survey, statistically tied with Sen. Grace Poe's 21 percent.

Roxas gained two points from the last survey while Poe's rating dropped by one point.

Holmes, meanwhile, said that the surge of Roxas to second place is merely "marginal" and still within the margin of error.

“Two points is within the margin of error. Medyo may pag-angat siya sa ilang lugar particular sa Balance Luzon pero marginal lang din yung paggalaw,” he said.

Vice President Jejomar Binay placed fourth in the survey with 17 percent while Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago's rating was unchanged at 2 percent.

VP race

Holmes noted that Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo's surge in the survey in the vice presidential race since the filing of the certificates of candidacy (COCs) in October 2015 resembles that of Vice President Jejomar Binay in 2010.

“Yung paggalaw, definitely malayo-layo ang inangat simula ng pre-election survey since October last year. Halos pareho sa pag-angat ni Mayor Binay for vice president,” Holmes said.

Robredo received a preference rating of seven percent in the first Pulse Asia poll in November last year after the filing of COCs, one point ahead of the six percent of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV. 

Robredo took the lead from Sen. Bongbong Marcos in the latest survey, scoring 30 percent against the latter's 28 percent. 

Senators Chiz Escudero and Alan Peter Cayetano, meanwhile, were unchanged from their ratings in the previous poll with 18 percent and 15 percent, respectively.

Holmes said Robredo's awareness level spiked among voters with her increased ad spending.

Meanwhile, Pulse Asia research fellow Ana Maria Tabunda confirmed in a text message to GMA News that this will be the last release of the polling firm before Election Day. —Joseph Tristan Roxas/ALG/KBK, GMA News