Binay overtakes Legarda in VP race

MANILA, Philippines - Makati City Mayor Jejomar "Jojo" Binay overtook erstwhile second-placer Sen. Loren Legarda and was just 9 percentage points behind frontrunner Sen. Manual "Mar" Roxas in the latest Pulse Asia vice-presidential survey.

Binay, the running mate of former President Joseph Estrada, jumped 9 percentage points from 19% in end of March to 28% in the April 23-25 survey of Pulse Asia.

Legarda dropped 3 percentage points and continued to fall from 23% in end of March to 20% in April 23-25.

Roxas also declined, falling 6 percentage points from his end of March rating of 43% to 37% in April 23-25.

"Despite a 6-percentage point decline in his overall voter preference during the period March to April 2010, Senator Roxas still has the lead in the vice-presidential race with 37% of voters supporting his candidacy," Pulse Asia said.

"Riding on a 9-percentage point gain in electoral support, the Makati City Mayor now finds himself in second place in the vice-presidential race," the polling firm added.

Lakas-KAMPI's Edu Manzano and former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Bayani Fernando were tied at 4th place with 3%.

Bangon Pilipinas' Perfecto Yasay was fifth at 1%.

KBL’s Jay Sonza and Ang Kapatiran's Dominador Chipeco still had below 1% ratings.

The number of undecided or refused to give an answer for the presidential and vice-presidential surveys didn't change at 9%.

Pulse Asia interviewed 1,800 registered voters. The survey has a margin of error of plus/minus 2%.

Ana Tabunda, Pulse Asia research fellow, told ANC that the April 23-25 survey is their last for the May 10 elections.

Chiz factor?

Tabunda said the 9 percentage points gained by Binay came from former supporters of Roxas and Legarda.

"The increase in the Makati mayor's percentage points came from the former supporters of the 2 senators," Tabunda said.

She added that Binay's significant climb in the survey could be attributed to the endorsement power of Sen. Francis "Chiz" Escudero.

"I would think the endorsement [of Escudero] had a large effect," Tabunda told ANC.

She said that the areas where Binay gained in the April 23-25 survey were the same areas where Escudero has a great influence on voters' preference.

Tabunda added that the sudden increase in Binay's ratings might make it a close race in the vice-presidential race.

"In the case of VP, I think that the leading candidate [Roxas] has to work hard to keep his lead," she said.