Duterte still No. 1 in latest Pulse Asia survey

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte maintained his lead in Pulse Asia's latest voters' preference survey for president released on Tuesday morning.

Duterte got 32 percent in the survey commissioned by ABS-CBN, conducted from April 5 to 10.

The Davao City mayor's voter preference increased by 2 percent compared to the last Pulse Asia survey conducted from March 29 to April 3.

He now has a 7-point margin against Sen. Grace Poe, who got 25 percent.

Vice President Jejomar Binay followed with 20 percent and Liberal Party's Mar Roxas got 18 percent.

Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago had 1 percent.

The voter preferences of Poe and Binay were unchanged from the last survey.

Roxas and Santiago's voter preferences, meanwhile, went down by 1 percent from the previous survey.

Pulse Asia said the latest survey's respondents were 4,000 registered voters.

It said the survey had a ± 1.5% error margin at the 95% confidence level.

It added that subnational estimates for the geographic areas covered in the survey have following error margins at 95 percent confidence level: ± 4.6% for Metro Manila, ± 2.3% for the rest of Luzon and ± 3.4% for Visayas and ± 3.3 for Mindanao

The respondents were asked: If the coming May 2016 elections were held today, whom would you vote for as President of the Philippines?

All socioeconomic classes for Duterte

The survey showed that Duterte was the top choice of the respondents in socioeconomic classes ABC, D and E with 37 percent, 32 percent and 31 percent, respectively.

He was also the top choice of respondents from Mindanao with 58 percent.

Duterte and Poe were tied for Metro Manila with 32 percent each.

Poe led in Balance Luzon with 33 percent while Roxas led in Visayas with 35 percent.

Poe top second choice

Poe, meanwhile, was the top second choice among the five presidential candidates with 29 percent.

Binay followed with 17 percent while Duterte and Roxas got 16 percent and 14 percent, respectively.

In a statement, Poe said she respects the survey results and will use it as a guide on the campaign trail.

As she continues to communicate her platform of fighting poverty, Poe expressed confidence that voters will take the country's welfare into account when they choose their next leaders on May 9.

"Naniniwala ako na sa araw ng halalan, pipili ang mga botante ng isang lider na makatao at may galing, para sa kabutihan ng buong bansa," she said.

Binay remains upbeat about his chances of winning the presidential race even though he continues to trail behind Duterte and Poe in the latest Pulse Asia pre-election survey.

Asked for his reaction to the latest poll results, Binay indicated that the public's reception to his campaign was encouraging.

"Kasama naman kita, nakikita mo naman kung sa field," Binay said.
 

In a recent interview with radio dzBB, Pulse Asia's research chief Ana Tabunda said that a candidate needs to gain a 15-percent margin in the surveys to be a sure winner in the elections.

“Siguro kung 15 points ahead na tapos dalawang araw na lang eleksyon na o isang linggo na lang, medyo mahirap na yun habulin,” Tabunda said.

She said Pulse Asia may release three more surveys before the elections, and the last one may be released a week before May 9.

The events that took place during the latest survey include:

• The final decision of the Supreme Court (SC), through a vote of 9-6, to throw out all motions for reconsideration regarding its 08 March 2016 ruling which allows Poe to run for president in the elections
• The findings of the Office of the Ombudsman that there is probable cause to file charges against former Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Alan Purisima and former PNP-Special Action Force (SAF) Chief Director Getulio Napeñas for violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act in connection with the Mamasapano incident
• The Senate investigation into the violent dispersal of a protest action in Kidapawan City, Cotabato; filing of of graft charges against North Cotabato Governor Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza
• The disclosure made by Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo that she and Roxas met with Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) leaders on 30 March 2016
• The start of the 30-day voting period for overseas Filipino registered on April 9
• Duterte's statement during a tourism convention wherein he asked members of the audience why they would go to Mexico with all the kidnappings and killings taking place there while seated near the Mexican Ambassador to the Philippines
• The Comelec-initiated vice presidential debate on April 10
• The deadly clash between soldiers and Abu Sayyaf members in Tipo-Tipo, Basilan
• Kim Wong's lawyer said his client offered to help the Philippine government by identifying the Chinese casino players who allegedly brought the dirty money into the country
• The continuing Senate investigation into the US$ 81M money laundering scheme
• The Sandiganbayan's issuance of order for the arrest of Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito; and 
• Manny Pacquiao's victory over Timothy Bradley.

—with Xianne Arcangel/ALG/RSJ/NB, GMA News