MANILA- The widely publicized feud of Sen. Nancy Binay's siblings may have harmed her reelection bid, analysts said Tuesday.

Binay, who was among leading contenders in pre-election surveys, is fighting to hang on to the 12th and last spot in the winning roster, based on a partial, unofficial tally.

Veteran political strategist Aurelio German said Binay's performance this elections was puzzling given that she did well in pre-election surveys.

"Nakakapagtaka talaga kasi consistent siya sa mga survey," he told radio DZMM.

(It's puzzling because she was consistent in the surveys.)

Binay placed as high as 3rd in the initial Pulse Asia pre-election survey in September last year but dropped to the 8-15 bracket in the last poll conducted from May 3 to 6.

From December 2018 to April of last year, the 45-year-old lawmaker was in a safe spot placing as high as 5th to as low as 9th.

"Palagay ko hindi talaga maganda yung pinapakita na pag-aaway nila although nasa sidelines lang naman siya," German said.

(I think the widely publicized family feud was not good even though she was just on the sidelines.)

German was referring to the feud between the senator's siblings Abby and Junjun, both of whom ran for mayor in their family's bailiwick Makati City.

Nancy supported her younger brother Junjun while their father former Vice President Jejomar Binay backed Abby, who has won the mayoral post based on partial, unofficial results.

• Nancy Binay hopes for Abby-Junjun reconciliation after polls
• Abby Binay beats brother Junjun for Makati's top post

While Nancy is not necessarily a main character in the sibling rivalry, German said the Binay family drama still harmed her reelection bid.

"The mere fact that there was intramurals within the family palagay ko nakaapekto 'yun (it affected her campaign)," he said.

University of the Philippines political science professor Jean Franco echoed German's thoughts, saying the Binay family was "overstretched" with their respective election bids along with the family feud.

"'Yung pamilya niya, na-overstretch tapos nag-engage pa sa negative campaigning because of the family issues," she said.

(Their family was overstretched and then they engaged in negative campaigning because of their family issues.)

• Binay siblings trade accusations of 'hurtful, violent' comments after church row

DISMAL CAMPAIGN

Nancy could also have been more aggressive in her reelection campaign, University of Santo Tomas political science professor Edmund Tayao said.

"For a while, there was not much talk, she was not seen much during campaign. There could have been better showing as far as Sen. Binay is concerned," he told ANC.

Nancy did not join any senatorial debate in the run-up to the May 13 elections. She also did not join any organized campaign rally, and instead mounted her own campaign alongside former senator Juan Ponce Enrile, who is also lagging in partial and unofficial results.

For her reelection bid, Nancy anchored her campaign on the heavy bashing that she has endured since entering politics in 2013 when she placed 5th in the senatorial race.

The senator, whose 2013 senatorial bid was also her debut in politics, has earned much fanfare online as the subject of several memes and online jokes.

• Stepping out of dad's shadows, Nancy Binay empowers with memes

She has, however, managed to turn things around from being a cyberbullied senator to an anti-bullying advocate.

"She has managed to sort of come up with a name with herself," Tayao said.

Nancy has filed over a combined 200 bills and resolutions in the Senate.

Among the measures she pushed for are repealing the crime of premature marriage, expanding privileges of persons with Disability, and developing the sugarcane industry.

She also recently co-sponsored the Expanded Maternity Leave Law, which grants a 120-day maternity leave to female workers regardless of civil status, and The Filipino Sign Language Act.

If she slugs it out for the last spot this elections, it would be Nancy's last Senate term.