MANILA, Philippines - Re-electionist senators Loren Legarda and Francis Escudero would easily top the list of senatorial winners if the 2013 midterm elections were held today, according to the latest Pulse Asia survey.
The survey, conducted last August 31 to September 7, 2012, showed Legarda topping the list of possible senatorial candidates. She currently enjoys the support of 67.3% of Filipino adults.
In second place is Escudero with 61.2%. Sharing 3rd to 5th places are Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano (49.9%), San Juan City Rep. JV Ejercito Estrada (49.9%) and Cagayan Province Rep. Juan Ponce Enrile Jr. (47.4%).
Pulse Asia said at least 15 out of 36 candidates included in the survey have a statistical chance of winning. The private pollster also noted that virtually all of the probable winners are either former or incumbent members of Congress.
At least 10 out of the 15 top senatorial bets in the Pulse Asia survey are current or former senators. They are Legarda, Escudero, Cayetano. Antonio Trillanes IV, Gringo Honasan, Koko Pimentel, Richard Gordon, Jun Magsaysay and Jamby Madrigal.
One candidate, Zubiri, resigned from the Senate after he was identified as a possible beneficiary of election cheating in Maguindanao in 2007.
Political sons, wife
Five candidates who will be running for senator for the first time have a statistical chance of winning in the 2013 race.
The 5 are San Juan Rep. Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito (3-5), Cagayan 1st District Rep. Juan Ponce Enrile Jr. (3-5), Aurora Rep. Edgardo "Sonny" Angara (6-11), Las Pinas Rep. Cynthia Villar (9-11) and Nancy Binay (12-15).
Three of the candidates are sons of former or current senators: Ejercito is the son of former President Joseph Estrada (who is also a former senator), Enrile is the son of current Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile while Angara is the son of Sen. Edgardo Angara.
Villar is the wife of Senator and former presidential candidate Manny Villar while Binay is the daughter of Vice-President Jejomar Binay.
Pulse Asia said that on average, Filipino are identifying 8 of their favored senatorial candidates for the coming midterm elections.
Rank Candidate
1 LEGARDA, Loren
2 ESCUDERO, Francis "Chiz"
3-5 CAYETANO, Alan Peter
3-5 ESTRADA, JV Ejercito
3-5 ENRILE, Juan Ponce Jr.
6-10 TRILLANES, Antonio "Sonny" IV
6-10 HONASAN, Gregorio "Gringo"
6-10 PIMENTEL, Aquilino Martin "Koko" III
6-11 ZUBIRI, Juan Miguel "Migz"
6-11 ANGARA, Edgardo "Sonny"
9-11 VILLAR, Cynthia
12-15 BINAY, Ma. Lourdes Nancy
12-16 GORDON, Richard "Dick"
12-16 MAGSAYSAY, Ramon "Jun" Jr.
12-17 MADRIGAL, Ana "Jamby"
