Mar on latest SWS survey: 'This is just the start'

(Updated 11:53 p.m.) Former Interior secretary Mar Roxas is confident that his ratings will continue to rise before the 2016 presidential election.

 

"Naniniwala tayo na simula pa lang ito. Sa paglipas ng panahon, dadami ang mga isyung ihaharap sa bawat kandidato and we are confident that more and more of our people will be able to discern true elections issues from mere mudslinging," Roxas said in a statement.

 

Roxas gained 18 percentage points in the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) presidential preference survey. He jumped over Vice President Jejomar Binay in the survey with 39 percent from 21 percent last June.

 

Binay slipped to third with 35 percent, one point higher than the SWS June result.

 

Sen. Grace Poe topped the survey with 47 percent, an increase of five points from last June's results. The senator confirmed his presidential run only last Wednesday.

 

Roxas said he is elated by the latest SWS survey results.

 

"Nagpapasalamat ako sa suporta ng ating mga kababayan. Ikinagagalak po ng buong Daang Matuwid coalition ang nangyaring pag-angat sa ating mga numero sa huling survey ng SWS," he said.

 

He added: "Para sa akin ay patunay ito na habang tumatagal, lumilinaw sa sambayanan ang mga napakagandang nasimulan, at ng pagnanais na manatili sa Daang Matuwid."

 

In a separate statement, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said that the increase may be attributed to President Benigno Aquino III's endorsement of Roxas as his preferred presidential candidate for 2016 last July 31.

 

"Ang pagtaas sa dami ng bumanggit ng preference kay Sec. Roxas ay repleksyon ng ibayong pagtitiwala ng mga mamamayan sa kanyang kakayahang mamuno sa bansa pagkatapos siyang endorsohin ni Pangulong Aquino bilang LP standard bearer," Coloma said.

 

Senate President Franklin Drilon, vice chairman of the Liberal Party, issued a similar statement on Monday.

"The rising momentum in the poll ratings of Roxas just shows that more and more Filipinos believe in what President Aquino said: Roxas is the best-suited leader to continue and improve on the achievements already made under the present administration,” Drilon said.

The senator also believes that Roxas' ratings will start to increase as election day nears.

House of Representatives

The LP's vice president for political affairs and Caloocan City Rep. Edgar Erice said that the poll proved that Roxas had the strongest momentum among those expected to run for president in 2016.

Erice attributed the gains to several factors, among which was President Benigno Aquino III endorsement last July.

He also pointed out that people were now seeing Roxas shift from "a serious government worker to a presidential candidate."

Meanwhile, LP spokesman and Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone said Roxas was “just in the right spot at this point of the election season."

Longtime LP member Rep. Niel Tupas Jr. added that they expect "further improvement" in Roxas' standing in the coming months.

Quezon City Rep. Alfred Vargas, another LP member, said this development "is only the beginning," with Roxas "getting stronger by the day."

For Quezon City Rep. Mark Enverga, the Nationalist People's Coalition's (NPC's) spokesman in the House, the latest poll showed that it was “getting much clearer" that the 2016's presidential race was “between three possible contenders."

However, he added, "It's too early to tell how things will end up."

Paranaque Rep. Gustavo Tambunting, a stalwart of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) headed by Binay, however disagreed with how the survey was taken.

The poll asked respondents to list three people they saw as a "good leaders to succeed" President Benigno Aquino III in 2016.

The survey was conducted from September 2 to 5. a total of 1,200 respondents nationwide were asked to provide three names of the best leaders to succeed Aquino in 2016.

 

The SWS said the survey has a sampling error margins of 3 percent for national percentages, and 6 percent each for Metro Manila, Balance of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. — Rose-An Jessica Dioquino/Amita Legaspi/ALG/DVM, GMA News