MANILA (UPDATE) – Despite her announcement that she would no longer seek the presidency, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio emerged as the most preferred presidential candidate among Filipinos for next year’s national elections, a Pulse Asia survey released Wednesday showed.

Duterte-Carpio led the list of 12 probable presidential candidates with 20 percent, followed by senator Bongbong Marcos--the namesake son of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos--with 15 percent, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso with 13 percent, and Sen. Manny Pacquiao at 12 percent.

The daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte had said on Sept. 9 that she would no longer run for president in the 2022 elections after her father accepted his party’s nomination for vice president.

The latest Pulse Asia poll was conducted from September 6 to 11.

Duterte-Carpio topped similar Pulse Asia surveys in July, April, and December last year.

• Sara Duterte says won't vie for presidency due to father's VP run

Following the latest survey, Duterte-Carpio’s spokesperson said the mayor "continues to listen" to the public.

“Patuloy din niyang pinakikinggan ang pulso ng mamamayang Pilipino. Nakikiisa siya sa hangarin ng ating mga kababayan na makabangon sa paghihirap patungo sa pag-unlad ng ating bayan,” said Liloan, Cebu Mayor Christina Garcia Frasco

(She continues to listen to the pulse of the Filipino public. She is one with the desire of our compatriots to rise from suffering towards progress for our country.)

Frasco said the survey "reflects the people’s desire for stable leadership in these uncertain times." She also touted Duterte-Carpio's "stellar track record" as mayor and "her courage and credibility."

She thanked the mayor's supporters for the survey results.

Marcos, meanwhile, has been nominated by the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan as its presidential bet. He has said that while he was still seeking alliances for the 2022 elections, he was "very, very close to announcing" which national post he would seek.

• Kilusang Bagong Lipunan nominates Bongbong Marcos as 2022 presidential bet

Domagoso and Pacquiao have also announced their respective presidential bids.

In the survey Pacquiao was followed by Sen. Grace Poe with 9 percent, Vice President Leni Robredo with 8 percent, Sen. Panfilo Lacson with 6 percent, and former House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano with 4 percent.

Poe, who was once eyed by opposition coalition 1Sambayan for the country’s top post, has said that she is not seeking public office next year.

• Grace Poe: Focus now on educating voters for 2022

Robredo, meanwhile, has yet to announce her plans for 2022.

• VP Robredo says yet to announce her Halalan 2022 plans, to decide before Oct. 8

The least preferred candidates were former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro (0.1 percent), former lawmaker Walden Bello (0.1 percent), former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV (1 percent) and Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go (3 percent).

The respondents’ second choices as president, should their first choice withdraw their candidacy, included Sen. Grace Poe (14 percent), Marcos (14 percent), Domagoso (13 percent), and Duterte-Carpio (11 percent).

Pulse Asia asked the question: Of the people on this list, whom would you vote for as president of the Philippines if the May 2022 elections were held today and they were candidates?

Almost half of Mindanao residents (47 percent) expressed support for Duterte-Carpio, while a little over a quarter of Metro Manila residents (28 percent) said they would back Marcos.

Sotto overtakes Duterte as most preferred VP candidate

Meanwhile, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III is now the respondents’ top choice as vice president in next year’s elections with 25 percent, overtaking Duterte who had 14 percent.

The July poll had Duterte and Domagoso locked head-to-head as the respondents’ top choice as vice president.

Duterte has formally accepted the nomination of a PDP-Laban faction for him to run for vice president.

• Duterte formally accepts PDP-Laban faction nomination as VP bet in 2022 elections

Domagoso is now the third most preferred candidate for vice president, with 12 percent.

Marcos also got 12 percent for VP in the September survey.

The President's spokesman Harry Roque noted the survey was done when aspirants, including Duterte, have yet to file for their candidacies and while "uncertainties" remained about his electoral bid.

"Be that as it may, the President remains the candidate to beat in the 2022 elections," Roque said in a statement.

Duterte's decision to seek the largely ceremonial position has been met with skepticism, with critics convinced he has ambitions to retain power or remain in high office to stymie possible legal action over thousands of state killings during his notorious war on drugs.

• 'ICC proceedings can move despite Duterte refusal to cooperate'

Duterte said he wants to serve the public.

A separate survey released this week by the Social Weather Stations showed 60 percent of 1,200 respondents believed his move violates the intention of the constitution, which has a 1-term limit to prevent abuse of power.

• Duterte maintains VP run legal despite survey

Meanwhile, Robredo's spokesman Barry Gutierrez noted Robredo's rating rose to 8 percent from 6 percent in June.

“We are grateful for the continued trust and support for VP Leni reflected in the substantial increases in both her approval and trust ratings,” Gutierrez said in a statement

“She has worked tirelessly throughout this pandemic, and it is good to know that many of our fellow Filipinos see and appreciate this, despite the unrelenting campaign of fake news and lies against the VP,” he added.

– With reports from RG Cruz and Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News, and Reuters

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