Erap overtakes Villar, Binay edges Loren: poll
abs-cbnNEWS.com
Posted at 05/03/2010 10:34 AM | Updated as of 05/03/2010 10:38 AM

MANILA, Philippines – Former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada has overtaken Sen. Manuel “Manny” Villar, Jr. to take second place in the presidential race, according to the latest Manila Standard Today (MST) pre-election survey.

The survey, which interviewed 2,500 registered voters nationwide from April 25-27, showed Liberal Party standard-bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III in the lead with 38%, which is 16 percentage points above Estrada's rating of 22%. Villar was in 3rd place with 20%.

According to MST resident pollster Pedro Laylo, the negative attacks on Villar have taken a toll on his survey performance.

Other presidential bets, meantime, got single digit results: Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro, Jr. (9%), Bro. Eddie Villanueva (3%) and Sen. Richard “Dick” Gordon (2%).

The survey had a margin of error of plus-minus 2%.

The new survey came less than a week after private pollster Pulse Asia released the results of its own pre-election survey. In the April 23-25 survey, Aquino gained 2 percentage points with 39% support, compared to 20% support for both Estrada and Villar.

Meanwhile, in the vice-presidential survey, Laylo said Makati Mayor Jejomar “Jojo” Binay has pulled away from Sen. Loren Legarda and is reportedly setting his sights on frontrunner Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II.

Roxas still led the pack with 38% while Binay is at 28%. Legarda slipped to 3rd place with 20% followed by Edu Manzano (3%) and Bayani Fernando (2%). All the other candidates had ratings of 1% or lower.

The survey said 6% of voters were undecided about their choice for president while 7% were undecided on their vice-presidential bet.

Binay earlier surged past Legarda in the April 23-25 Pulse Asia survey. – With a report from Ces Drilon, ABS-CBN News

Noynoy, Mar keep survey lead
By Aurea Calica (The Philippine Star) Updated April 23, 2010 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Liberal Party (LP) presidential candidate Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and his running mate Sen. Manuel Roxas II have maintained their leads in various surveys three weeks before the elections.

The Manila Broadcasting Co.-dzRH survey on April 16 with 6,900 respondents showed Aquino leading the race with 38.6 percent, followed by Nacionalista Party standard-bearer Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. with 22.8 percent. Former President Joseph Estrada of the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino got 21.2 percent; former Defense secretary Gilberto Teodoro of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD, 11.3 percent; Eddie Villanueva of Bangon Pilipinas, 2.7 percent; Sen. Richard Gordon of Bagumbayan, 1.6 percent.

Vetellano Acosta, who had been disqualified, got 0.3 percent, while environmentalist Nicanor Perlas and Sen. Jamby Madrigal each got 0.2 percent. Olongapo City Councilor JC de los Reyes scored 0.1 percent.

In the vice presidential race, Roxas registered a 41.4 percent rating while Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay got 27.3 percent and Sen. Loren Legarda, 22.9 percent.

Former Metro Manila Development Authority chairman Bayani Fernando got 2.9 percent; former Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Perfecto Yasay, 0.9 percent; news anchor Jay Sonza, 0.4 percent and Dominador Chipeco, 0.1 percent.

Aquino and Roxas also topped surveys by local governments.

In Iloilo City, a survey conducted from April 17 to 18 with 600 respondents showed Aquino garnering 45.5 percent, followed by Villar with 29.5 percent; Teodoro, 9.5 percent; Estrada, 7.8 percent; Perlas and Villanueva, one percent each; and Gordon, 0.5 percent.

Roxas got 71.2 percent; Binay, 11.5 percent; Legarda 10.7 percent; actor Edu Manzano, 1.2 percent; Fernando, one percent; and Yasay, one percent.

In Legazpi City, a survey dated March 26-29 showed Aquino was favored by 54.3 percent of respondents; Villar, 23 percent; Estrada, 6.2 percent; Teodoro, 5.4 percent; Gordon, 1.3 percent; Villanueva, 0.7 percent; De los Reyes, 0.3 percent. Madrigal got zero.

Roxas received 54.9 percent; Binay, 18 percent; Legarda 17.2 percent; Fernando, 1.5 percent; Manzano, 0.8 percent; Yasay, 0.3 percent; and Sonza, 0.1 percent.

In Davao, an April 20 survey among 6,000 respondents also showed Aquino leading with 46.18 percent; Estrada, 31.07 percent; Villar, 12.40 percent; and Teodoro, 5.57 percent.

Roxas got 50.11 percent; Binay 28.29 percent; Legarda 15.59 percent; and Manzano, 1.42 percent.

LP campaign manager Florencio Abad said they were furnished the survey results by various groups and local officials who commissioned them.

Aquino and Roxas, in a statement, vowed to rev up their campaign and not be distracted by black propaganda.

Roxas, also LP president, said the party was banking on an outpouring of support from various sectors and defectors from other camps as a result of their positive campaigning.

Earlier, Albay Gov. Joey Salceda bolted the administration party to support Aquino and Roxas.

Several national unions affiliated with the Lakas Manggagawa Labor Center have formed an umbrella group called Workers for Aquino and Roxas.

The group comprises the Philippine Association of Free Labor Unions, Alliance of Filipino Workers, Union of Filipino Workers, Construction Workers Solidarity, Workers Welfare Watch-Philippines, Ladies Garments Textile Workers Welfare Association and the National Labor Union.

Meanwhile, a Filipino seaman was the first to vote personally on Wednesday in the overseas absentee voting (OAV) at the Philippine consulate in Los Angeles.

The consulate said Ulysses Tumamak Toling became the first registered seafarer to cast his vote at the Consulate General.

Meanwhile, the Philippine embassy in Tel Aviv said overseas absentee voters continue to flock to the embassy to cast their votes. The Overseas Absentee Voting officially opened last April 10. With Pia Lee-Brago

Source

Villar falls 4 points; Aquino, Erap, Gibo steady: Pulse Asia

ABS CBN News

MANILA, Philippines (1st UPDATE) - Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III leads in the latest Pulse Asia survey with a 12 percentage-point advantage over closest rival, Sen. Manuel “Manny” Villar, Jr.

In the Pulse Asia survey conducted from March 21 to 28, Aquino got 37% support followed by Villar with 25%, former President Joseph Estrada with 18%, administration bet Gilbert Teodoro with 7%, Sen. Richard Gordon with 2%, Bro. Eddie Villanueva with 3%.

Nicanor Perlas, John Carlos "JC" de los Reyes, and Jamby Madrigal were chosen by less than 1% of respondents.

Aquino was statistically the same as in the February 21-25 survey while Villar dropped by 4 percentage points. He widened his lead over Villar from 7 points in February to 12 points in March 21 to 28.

Estrada was steady at 18%, and Teodoro also failed to get more support with 7%, the same level as in February.

All the other candidates did not improve their survey ratings.

'Noynoy sustains lead'

"Senator Benigno 'Noynoy' C. Aquino III sustains his lead in the presidential race," Pulse Asia said in its April 6 media release from Prof. Ronald Holmes, president of the polling firm.

"Senator Aquino enjoys a slight significant lead over the second running contender in almost all areas and socio-economic classes ranging from a low of 7 percent in the Balance Luzon (where Sen. Aquino's preference is at 33% versus Sen. Villar's 26%) to a high 32% for the upper socio-economic class ABC (where Sen. Aquino's voting support is at 49% against 17% for Sen. Villar)," Pulse Asia said.

"In Mindanao and the lowest socio-economic class E, Sen. Aquino's preferences (37% and 34%) are statistically close to the preferences of former President Estrada (in Mindanao at 29%) and Senator Villar (for Class E at 28%)," the survey firm added.

Mar keeps lead, Binay gaining over Loren

In the vice-presidential race, Sen. Manuel "Mar" Roxas II kept a comfortable 20 percentage-point lead over closest rival, Sen. Loren Legarda. He had 43% support while Legarda got 23%.

Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay continued to improve in the surveys, gaining 4 percentage points from 15% in February to 19% in March 21 to 28.

Legarda fell by 4 percentage points, from 27% in February to 23% in March 21 to 28.

The rest of the candidates--Bayani Fernando (3%), Edu Manzano (2%), Perfecto Yasay (1%), Jay Sonza (0.5%), Dominador Chipeco (0.1%)--did not improve their survey ratings.

The latest survey was done with 3,000 adult respondents with a margin of error of plus/minus 2%. A sample ballot "that is a facsimile of the COMELEC official ballot" was used for the survey.

Source

Manila Bulletin - Monday, March 1

(Reuters) - Opposition senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino, son of the Philippines' democracy heroine Corazon "Cory" Aquino, said he may consider raising taxes if elected if it was clear the budget gap was unlikely to be cut quickly.

Here are some questions and answers on Aquino and his prospects:

HOW LIKELY IS AQUINO TO WIN?

Difficult to say. Aquino has kept his position as frontrunner in various opinion polls for the May presidential election, but his ratings suffered a big blow in January when the latest survey from independent pollster Pulse Asia Inc. showed him at 37 percent, down from 44 percent a month earlier.

His main rival, billionaire lawmaker Manuel "Manny" Villar, has been closing in on Aquino's lead. Villar's rating jumped 12 percentage points in the same poll last month, helped by his well-oiled ad campaign, pointing to a close race in the May 10 poll. Analysts say the election is still wide open, and that it is still too early to establish a trend more than two months away from the actual casting of ballots.

Some believe Aquino's popularity might be borne by media hype following the outpouring of public emotion when his mother died in August 2009 and the people's respect for his namesake father, who was assassinated upon his return in 1983 from political exile during the rule of strongman Ferdinand Marcos.

The hundreds of thousands of people who came out for the funeral of Aquino's mother, former President Cory Aquino, represent a huge vote bank, some analysts say.

Aquino has no executive experience and his record in his nine years as a lawmaker is not regarded as impressive.

Funding and organization could also be a problem since most other candidates started campaign preparations as early as 2007. Aquino's Liberal Party is a small organization, and is counting mostly on volunteers and donations from civil society groups.

WHAT ARE HIS ECONOMIC POLICIES LIKELY TO BE?

Aquino vowed on Saturday to go after tax evaders and big smugglers, a campaign that he hopes would collect 150 billion pesos ($3.3 billion) and raise the government's tax efficiency rate by 2 percentage points from the current level of around 13 percent.

He said he would strengthen an existing carrot-and-stick mechanism at the country's two main tax agencies to raise the Philippines' perenially weak revenues and push for higher salaries for these agencies to prevent workers from resorting to corrupt practices.

Aquino's action plan in his first 100 days as president includes forming a group to review possible changes to economic provisions in the Philippine constitution, one of Corazon Aquino's most important legacies to the Philippines during her term in office from 1986 to 1992.

Its political provisions specify term limits for elected officials, a reaction to Marcos' two decades in power, but it also has strongly nationalist economic provisions, including restrictions on foreign investment in some sectors and on foreigners owning land.

An economics graduate from the Jesuit-run Ateneo de Manila University, Aquino is running on an investor-friendly platform of transparent and good government, raising standards in education and improving tax collection by plugging leakages instead of imposing new revenue measures.
Manuel "Mar" Roxas, a Liberal Party colleague who has withdrawn his own nomination to make way for Aquino, was the preferred choice of markets for the presidency.

Roxas has served as trade secretary for two administrations and worked in an investment bank, while Aquino has only held legislative posts.

Roxas is standing as the Liberal Party's vice-presidential candidate and is campaigning along with Aquino.

WHAT WILL BE HIS POLITICAL PLATFORM?

Aquino's Liberal Party is strongly centrist and has been likened to the Democratic Party of the United States.

He has been opposed to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, once an ally of his mother, after she became enmeshed in charges of corruption and election fraud.

He said on Saturday he believed it was not yet time for the Philippines to shift to a parliamentary system, a controversial issue due to moves by Arroyo's allies to extend her term.

Aquino is also risking the support of influential Catholic bishops, staunch allies of his mother, over his position on a controversial reproductive health bill in Congress. Aquino supports the measure being pushed by his party.

"I will not steal," Aquino has made a vow in his political advertisements aired on radio and television, promising a clean and honest government and holding the current government accountable for rampant corruption.

Source

MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE 3) Senators Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and Manuel “Mar” Roxas II filed their candidacies for president and vice president respectively at the Commission on Elections office in Manila Saturday.

Aquino and Roxas, who will run under the Liberal Party, filed their certificates of candidacy to coincide with the birthday of Aquino’s father, national hero and late senator Benigno Aquino Jr.

With Aquino and Roxas were their candidates for the Senate: former National Economic Development Authority chief Ralph Recto, Anakbayan Partylist Representative Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel, Congressman Ruffy Biazon, lawyer Nereus Acosta, Teofisto Guingona III; and Sonia Roco, wife of the late senator Raul Roco.

Aquino was also accompanied by his sisters Balsy, Pinky, Viel, and television host and actress Kris.

Judy Araneta-Roxas, mother of Mar Roxas, and broadcast journalist and Roxas’ wife Korina Sanchez, were also present at the Comelec.

Aquino said his party would “continue to fight for change” by seeking to eradicate corruption, create jobs; and improve the education, health, and judicial systems after nine years of rule by incumbent Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, an estranged former political ally of his late mother, former president, and democracy icon Corazon Aquino.

“There are four that we would like to focus on: job generation is first. This is best explained by a father that I talked with before who said, ‘Bigyan niyo kami ng trabaho at kami na ang bahala sa kalusugan [Give us jobs and we will take care of health]’; education is second which is an essential tool for job creation, to start the reform of the justice system and even to advocate concern for the environment; third is health and fourth is judicial reform,” said Aquino.

Aquino also said that the Liberal party has a firm stand on the impeachment of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, whom they believed lacked the power to stop graft and corruption among the country's public officials.

“[The] LP [Liberal party] has taken so many stands on the issues of the day – on impeachment, the North rail project, fertilizer scam. And despite the administration's attempt to stop us, we did not give in to their ways,” said Aquino.

"Its [The Arroyo administration’s] legitimacy is under question. It persecutes those who expose the truth about its legitimacy and corruption. It stays in power by corrupting individuals and institutions," his Liberal Party alleged in paid advertisements on national newspapers on Saturday, referring to allegations of poll fraud by Arroyo in the 2004 elections.

Roxas added that compared to other presidential bets of other parties who were claiming to be reformists, Aquino was the “real reformist” who he said was never involved in under-the-table negotiations, especially in the use of government funds.

“Lahat ng ibang kandidato sabi reformist sila. Ang sabi ko si Senator Noynoy walang kontrata sa gobyerno, hindi nakinabang sa kanyang pagiging opisyal ng gobyerno at hindi pinakialaman ang mga kalye na pinaggagastusan ng taxpayers at walang kaso na anomalya. Hindi lang yan pangako kundi nasa gawa [Other candidates claim they are also reformists. All I can say is this: Noynoy never dipped his hands on funds of government contracts, never used his position for his own gains, he did not get involved in anomalous road projects funded by taxpayers' money and has no charges of graft and corruption. That is a reformist who walks his talk],” said Roxas.

Aquino said they were still finalizing negotiations with two other prospective senatorial candidates, one in Maguindanao and one abroad. He added they wouldannounce by next week the outcome of the talks.

“Dumadaan pa sa masalimuot na pag-uusap pero palagay namin matatapos this afternoon [We still have ongoing negotiations with two other possible senatorial bets for the Liberal Party. We hope we could finalize the talks by this afternoon],” said Aquino.

Aquino added they would use people's campaign for their candidacy by tapping volunteers. Presently, they have at least 200,000 volunteers nationwide and growing.

“Hindi natin kailangang makipagsabayan sa mga infomercials ng ibang kandidato. Dadaanin namin ang pangangampanya sa tulong at sipag ng mga volunteers at gamit ang sapat na pondo para maisulong kampanyang pantay-pantay [Our party does not need to compete with the infomercials being aired by other candidates. We would use the people's campaign though our volunteers and enough funding to launch a campaign that does not level off the playing field],” said Aquino.

He denounced allegations that he was gaining more attention because of his star-studded infomercials available on YouTube, which featured popular actors and actresses in the country. He said they were a group of volunteers whose numbers started growing, three months after he announced his candidacy.

Instead of airing infomercials over television and radio which costs billions, Roxas said a people's campaign would be one that has “a stronger foundation based on the trust of the citizens.”

Prior to the filing, a rally was held outside the Comelec office by LP supporters clad in yellow, the signature color of the party. Seen in the crowd were Father Ed Panlilio and popular actors Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera.

Aquino and Roxas were the first candidates for president and vice president from a major political party to have filed their CoCs. The Comelec started accepting CoCs last Monday.

Retired Brigadier General Danilo Lim, an “adopted” senatorial candidate of the LP, filed his candidacy Friday.

The withdrawn, bespectacled Aquino surged from nowhere to the top of the opinion polls after his mother died in early August from a long battle with cancer.

His main rivals for the presidency – Arroyo's preferred successor and ex-defense secretary Gilberto Teodoro, multi-millionaire developer and senator Manny Villar, and deposed former president Joseph Estrada – are all expected to register before the deadline on Monday.

An October national survey by Manila pollster Pulse Asia found Aquino with 44 percent support, with Villar on 19 percent, and Teodoro at just two percent.

The start of the election season leading up to the May 10, 2010 vote has been overshadowed by the massacre in the south on Monday allegedly by a former Arroyo ally of at least 57 people, including relatives of a local rival but also journalists and motorists who had no known quarrel with the suspects.

By Anna Valmero
Agence France-Presse, INQUIRER.net

Political figures, media personalities and thousands of common folk witnessed the much-awaited wedding of Senator Manuel “Mar" Roxas II and broadcast journalist Korina Sanchez at the historic Sto. Domingo Church in Quezon City on Tuesday afternoon. Wearing a serpentina-style gown in a Filipiniana motif, a teary-eyed Sanchez walked down the aisle with her brothers taking turns in escorting her to the altar, where a beaming Roxas awaited her. Eschewing tradition, the bride did not wear a veil with her Pepito Albert gown.

The members of the entourage wore native Filipino attire, with men in embroidered barong Tagalog and women in long Maria Clara gowns.

An estimated three thousand people witnessed the wedding ceremony inside the church, while an additional crowd of about two thousand milled outside.

In an interview with reporters, Roxas said he last talked with his bride Sanchez on Monday morning. Roxas said Sanchez sent him this text message on Tuesday morning: “Pray for me so I will not trip (during the wedding)."

Seen in attendance were prominent political leaders including Vice President Noli de Castro, former Senate President Franklin Drilon, Batangas vice governor Mark Leviste, former Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, and United States Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney. Media personalities including television host Kris Aquino-Yap and GMA Network President Felipe L. Gozon were also spotted in the church. Aquino-Yap, who arrived with husband James Yap and son Baby James, wished the couple “much happiness and a baby right away." Some people in the crowd outside the Sto. Domingo Church arrived as early as 7 a.m. to witness what they called “the wedding of the year." Joey Bongolan, 47, said he just wanted to see the groom. Bongolan said he was able to interact with Roxas two years ago, when the senator went to Divisoria mall in Manila. “Nandito ako para makita siyang ikasal. Natutuwa ako kahit andito ako sa labas (I’m here to see him get married. I’m happy even if I’m here outside)," he said. More than 10 bishops and priests, including Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, Sorsogon Bishop Angel Valera and Bishop Raul Martin of Quezon City, are officiating the wedding mass. The UP Madrigal Singers sang an a capella rendition of “Ave Maria" and “Umagang Kay Ganda" while the bride walked down the aisle. Principal sponsors of the wedding include Senator Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III, Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno, former Senate President Jovito Salonga, ABS-CBN chairman Eugenio Lopez II, Roxas’ uncle Jorge Araneta, broadcast journalist Cecilia Lazaro, Red Cross governor Rosa Rosal, Helen Costales, Ruby Roxas, and Maria Fores. – GMANews.TV