"Lets just wait for his birthday announcement on who will get his endorsement, its April 25"

Aquino apologizes; Villar won’t explain Davao no-show

MANILA, Philippines—Liberal Party standard-bearer Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III made a public apology while Nacionalista Party (NP) bet Manny Villar appealed for “understanding” in response to the sharp words the two leading contenders received for skipping a forum organized by a religious sect leader in Davao City on Tuesday.

Campaigning in Zamboanga City Wednesday, Aquino aired his apology to Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, head of a sect called Kingdom of Jesus Christ, the Name Above Every Name, which claims millions of members and several radio stations.

“When I go to Davao I will seek an audience and explain to him, that it was something beyond my control,” said Aquino in a press conference at the Orchid Garden Hotel. “Getting a cold is something that I cannot schedule.”

Quiboloy, disappointed at the non-appearance of the top two contenders, had called them men with “no word of honor.”

Aquino said he had a cold after his visit to the Visayas last week which prevented him from flying to Davao on Tuesday, as he had promised Quiboloy.

“My doctor advised me to take medicines and he asked for at least two days of rest. I still have a cold at this time,” said Aquino. He said “there would have been no problem if he had everything under his control.”

But Aquino said he pushed through with his Zamboanga sortie Wednesday because he “could not hold it off anymore.” Aquino is set to go to Davao next week.

On the other hand, Villar, campaigning Wednesday in Kabacan, North Cotabato, did not reveal his reasons for not attending Quiboloy’s forum, adding, “We ask for your understanding.”

Before flying to Koronadal City, Villar told reporters he had many reasons—“a hundred reasons”—why he skipped Quiboloy’s forum as well as another one held at the Ateneo de Davao University.

“What happened should be left to us. We will just talk among ourselves,” he told reporters.

Villar said he had explained his decision to the organizers of the lawyers and businessmen’s forum, but did not elaborate.

“I have the same reason for both (forums), but I don’t want to specify. You know, the campaign exacts a heavy toll on the candidates, and sometimes it’s really hard for us to attend all the forums,” he said.

‘They blew it’

Meanwhile, in Naga City, veteran politician and Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino campaign manager Ernesto Maceda said the two top contenders lost their chance to get the religious group’s support.

“Pastor Quiboloy did not hide his displeasure and as far as I’m concerned, without meaning to preempt (Quiboloy’s group), that would imply that they’re out of contention as far as Quiboloy’s concerned for the moment,” Maceda said.

Maceda said only the PMP’s standard-bearer, deposed President Joseph Estrada, administration candidate Gilberto Teodoro and evangelist Brother Eddie Villanueva remain in the running for the endorsement of Quiboloy’s group.

But Estrada himself said he would not read too much into the situation.

“Medyo nagtampo lang siya (He was just a little upset),” Estrada said on Quiboloy’s reaction to the no-show of Aquino and Villar.


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Aquino's lead steadily falling: SWS chief

abs-cbnNEWS.com | 03/09/2010 2:13 PM

Mangahas: C-5 issue hurts Villar in Metro Manila

MANILA, Philippines (1st UPDATE) - The presidential surveys conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS) since December 2009 show a consistent decline in support for Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Benigno 'Noynoy' Aquino III, according to SWS president Mahar Mangahas.

In an interview on ANC's Dateline Philippines on Tuesday, Mangahas said what's clear from the four presidential surveys conducted by SWS from December 5-10, 2009 to February 24-28 2010 is that Aquino's lead is now much smaller.

The latest SWS survey, commissioned by the newspaper BusinessWorld, and e-mailed Tuesday to news organizations by the camp of Nacionalista Party (NP) presidential bet Manny Villar, showed Aquino's lead down to only 2 percentage points, with Aquino at 36% and Villar at 34%.

"Ang talagang conclusion diyan ay napakaliit na [ang lead ni Aquino] compared to before. That's very clear," Mangahas said.

Aquino's lead over Villar was 19 points in December 5-10, 2009, 11 points in December 27-28, 2009, 7 points in January 21-24, 2010, and 2 points in February 24-28.

"If you look at our series, talagang steadily, steadily paliit ng paliit. So ngayon, nasa 2 (point lead si Aquino)," he added.

Mangahas disagreed with interpretations of the latest SWS survey results which described the two leading presidential candidates in a statistical tie.

Given the margin of error of 2%, Mangahas said Aquino may actually be leading by 4 percentage points.

He said the correct way of interpreting the results of the latest survey is that it's either a statistical tie or that Aquino has a 4 percentage point lead.

C-5 affects Villar in Metro Manila

Mangahas also said another important shift in the February 24-28, 2010 survey results is the drop in Villar's ratings in Metro Manila.

In the National Capital Region, Villar's ratings fell from 26% in January 21-24, 2010 to 20% in February 24-28, a drop of 6 percentage points.

"Villar fell in Metro Manila, and the second-placer is actually Erap," Mangahas said. "It's Noynoy, Erap and then Villar in Metro Manila."

"So para sa akin, this issue about the C-5 could be said to have had an effect in Metro Manila. Because doon siya talagang nahirapan, nahihirapan," he added.

However, Mangahas said Villar improved in the Visayas, which is why his overall ratings have been just steady since December.

"He [Villar] improved in Visayas kaya't medyo steady lang siya, at 1 puntos lang ang bawas niya unlike Noynoy who fell all around, in all parts of the country, kaya't nabawasan siya ng 6 points," he said.

He refused to say whether Villar's ads were responsible for the NP's survey ratings, adding that the SWS does not monitor ad spending.

"Hindi kasama yon sa analysis namin...at saka wala kaming special access sa mga ganoon (ads)," Mangahas said.

Asked why Aquino's ratings have fallen since December, Mangahas said he does not have the data that would explain the drop.

"We do not know the progress of the ads in all parts of the country. We don't have those additional bits of information," he said.

Mangahas said the SWS will have surveys in March, April and around a week before the May 10 elections.

If the last survey a week before May 10 would show the same results as the February 24-28, 2010 survey, Manghas said they would then say: "Well, we cannot call the winner because it's too small but it's a two-point lead and we have to say that at this point, mas llamado si Aquino ng konti."

The February 24-28, 2010 BW-SWS survey used face-to-face interviews with 2,100 registered voters. It has a margin of error of plus/minus 2%.

Villar, Aquino respond to SWS survey

Meanwhile, Villar said the results of the latest SWS polls are also reflected in the warm reception he and the rest of his team are getting in their sorties.

“Mas nagiging mainit ang pagtanggap sa atin saan man kami dumako at mas lalong nagiging buo ang grupo ng Nacionalista kasama ang aking running mate na si Loren Legarda,” he said in a statement.

He said he has been able to spread the word about what they intend to do if they win the polls through their sorties.

Villar said they are getting more support due to their message of hope plus a better grasp of his team's platform of government.

He added he was happy with the survey results and expressed hope he would soon overtake Aquino, who holds only a 2 percentage point lead.

Liberal Party campaign manager Florencio 'Butch' Abad, meanwhile, said the results of the SWS survey showed that their message of anti-corruption and good governance is holding.

“The campaign of Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III is pleased with the results of the Social Weather Stations’ February 21 to 25 survey, which clearly shows that Aquino has retained his lead," he said.

“Despite our closest rival’s excessive, beyond-the-COMELEC-limit spending on TV ads and the obscenely funded propaganda machine, the people have maintained their trust in Noynoy Aquino’s candidacy," Abad said.

“What this survey tells us is that our message is holding and we must continue delivering that to places like the Samar Islands and Northern Luzon, where we see greater opportunities recruiting more supporters. For this purpose, the Aquino campaign intends to aggressively expand its volunteer base of 200,000 in these places," he added.

“Although the race has become tighter, we are confident that our message of change and freedom from corruption will hold sway in the end, and that the voters will make the right decision come the May elections," Abad said.

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Noynoy widens lead

Philstar.com - Saturday, March 6


MANILA, Philippines - Liberal Party (LP) bet Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III has widened his lead over Sen. Manuel Villar of the Nacionalista Party (NP) in the latest survey by Pulse Asia on presidential candidates for the May 10 elections.

Aquino obtained 36 percent against Villar’s 29 percent in the Feb. 21-25 survey results released yesterday.

Still coming in third was former President Joseph Estrada of the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino-United Opposition with 18 percent, followed by the administration’s Gilberto Teodoro of Lakas-Kampi-CMD with seven percent.

Aquino improved his lead over Villar, with whom he was “statistically tied” in the January survey of Pulse Asia. Aquino then had 37 percent and Villar 35 percent.

Aquino gained momentum after Villar fell by six percentage points in February.

Estrada, on the other hand, posted the biggest gain of six percentage points in the latest survey.

Teodoro also improved his ratings, posting a gain of two points in the latest survey compared to January.

Pulse Asia said the other presidential candidates registered voter preference of seven percent or less.

Eddie Villanueva of Bangon Pilipinas came in fifth with two percent, followed by Sen. Richard Gordon of Bagumbayan Party with one percent.

The other candidates who posted less than one percent include Sen. Jamby Madrigal (0.3); environmentalist Nicanor Perlas (0.2 percent); Vetellano Acosta (0.04 percent); and Olongapo City councilor John Carlos de los Reyes of Ang Kapatiran Party (zero percent).

The survey, conducted from Feb. 21 to 25, had included Acosta before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) disqualified the KBL candidate last Thursday.

In the same survey, Aquino remains the favorite in the National Capital Region (NCR), obtaining 40 percent preference from among the upper socioeconomic classes ABC (43 percent) and D (36 percent).

Aquino and Villar received almost the same percentages in balance Luzon (33 percent Aquino; 31 percent Villar) and the Visayas (39 percent Aquino, 38 percent Villar) and among the poorest class E (36 percent Aquino; 33 percent Villar).

In Mindanao, 38 percent of respondents chose Aquino while 31 percent picked Estrada as their presidential bet.

Compared to the January 2010 survey, Pulse Asia said voter support for Aquino is virtually unchanged.

The survey also found that six percent of Filipino voters have yet to decide on their presidential preference or have no preferred candidate if the May 2010 elections were held during the survey period.

As in the previous survey, about the same number of voters with a presidential preference say that they opted for their candidate because he/she is not corrupt (26 percent) and cites his/her caring for the poor (22 percent).

Other reasons cited for preferring a candidate are that he/she can do/ is doing /will do something (14 percent); helps/is helping others (11 percent); is a good person (10 percent) and is used to governing/has experience (seven percent).

On the vice presidential bets, LP’s Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II continued to lead with 43 percent of voter preference.

Villar’s running mate, Sen. Loren Legarda of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, came in second at 27 percent followed by Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay with 15 percent.

The other contenders who obtained voter support of four percent or less were former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Bayani Fernando (four percent); Lakas-Kampi-CMD bet actor Edu Manzano (two percent); former Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Perfecto Yasay (one percent); broadcaster Jay Sonza (one percent); and Dominador Chipeco (0.1 percent).

Seven percent of voters said they have no vice-presidential preference, Pulse Asia said.

Pulse Asia said Roxas has the advantage over his opponents across areas and socioeconomic classes except in balance Luzon and among the poorest socioeconomic class E, where voter support for him is statistically tied with that for Legarda.

Voter preference for Roxas is marginally higher in balance Luzon (36 percent versus 31 percent), while Legarda has the edge, although marginal, among the poorest class E (39 percent against 35 percent), the polling firm said.

Pulse Asia said preferences for the vice-presidential candidates are virtually unchanged since January, there being but marginal increases and marginal declines even among the top four contenders.

Binay and Fernando both posted marginal increases of two percentage points, while Roxas and Legarda registered marginal declines of four percentage points and one percentage point, respectively.

The non-commissioned survey used face-to-face interviews of 1,800 representative adults 18 years old and above with a plus or minus two percentage points error margin at the 95 percent confidence level.

Confidence level

Aquino and Roxas were both elated with the latest Pulse Asia survey, which they said reflected the people’s hope for change “rather than believe the lies being spread by those who want to destroy us.”

“I am happy because the survey shows the outpouring of support from the people who aim for real change in the country because I won’t stop until we are able to give our fellow Filipinos a leadership that is clean and can be trusted,” Aquino said.

Roxas, for his part, said the pre-election surveys were a strong indication of how voters would pick the country’s second highest elective official in this year’s national elections.

Villar, on the other hand, said he is still satisfied with the latest survey even after falling by six points in ratings against Aquino.

“I’m still happy about it. As I said earlier, as long as the lead is still in the single digit, I’m still happy,” Villar said at a press conference after meeting with local leaders in Davao City.

Legarda, for her part, said the surveys can be used as “gauge” in the campaign. She said surveys mean nothing compared with the support of the people attending their campaign sorties.

The NP said they remain unfazed by the drop in ratings by Villar.

NP spokesperson and senatorial candidate Gilbert Remulla said the elections are still three months away and anything can happen.

Remulla attributed the results of the latest survey to the commemoration of the 24th anniversary of the 1986 People Power revolution, which rekindled the memories of the late former President Corazon Aquino.

“But it should also be pointed out that the survey was conducted on the same week that the nation was commemorating EDSA 1, thus, people were remembering Noynoy’s mother Cory,” he said.

Remulla also pointed out Villar’s ratings also went down in another survey, the Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS), as much as 41 points last month.

Aquino spokesman Edwin Lacierta said Remulla “tried to pull off another spin” in citing the TNS survey, and was simply trying to downplay the Pulse Asia survey by citing another.

“The numbers do not correspond with the money dole-out simply because the Filipino people are tired, they want change, and can now smell the stench of corruption no matter how expensive the perfume,” Lacierta said.

On the other hand, Villanueva’s Bangon Pilipinas party (BPP) said the numbers in the latest Pulse Asia survey revealing their presidential candidate in fifth place were “quite improbable.”

“Before the official start of the campaign, Bro. Eddie Villanueva was already at two percent. After visiting key cities and provinces, even Hong Kong where Bangon Pilipinas gathered the biggest crowd... the party just cannot simply believe that ratings would still remain at two percent,” the BPP said in a statement.

The BPP said the survey results run contrary to the outcome of the surveys by other social networks that showed Villanueva remains the popular choice, particularly among Facebook users.

The BPP cited Villanueva’s interviews with the media that he does not believe in surveys.

Villanueva had cited the cases of former President Fidel Ramos and detained Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV who were both lagging in surveys but won anyway. -With Aurea Calica, Marvin Sy, Evelyn Macairan, Christina Mendez - By Helen Flores (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)

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.

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Villar most trusted poll bet, survey reveals

Manila Bulletin - Wednesday, February 24

Nacionalista Party (NP) presidential candidate Senator Manuel Villar Jr. is the most trusted candidate in the May 10, 2010 elections, according to the latest Pulse Asia survey.

While Villar and rival Liberal Party standard-bearer Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III both enjoy majority trust ratings among the candidates vying for the presidency, the NP bet had a better trust rating of 70 percent, against the LP candidate's 64 percent.

This developed as nearly seven out of 10 Filipinos expressed distrust in President Arroyo, attaining the highest distrust rating of 68 percent since March, 2001.

The nationwide survey conducted from January 22 to 26 with 1,800 respondents showed that public distrust in President Arroyo remains the predominant sentiment toward her, four months before her term of office ends.

Based on the same survey, Villar's trust rating improved from the last survey released in December by the same agency, where it showed him and Aquino almost in a virtual tie with a margin of error of negative (-), positive (+) 2 points.

Aquino's trust rating in this survey dropped by 8 points, while the rate of undecided respondents went up to six percentage points to 23 percent.

The newest survey conducted last January 22-26 had at least 1,800 respondents and highlighted key political developments in the Philippines, including the impending retirement of Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Victor Ibrado and the issue of whether President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo should appoint their replacements or leave the task to the next president.

Notably, the survey was also done at a toxic time for Villar when the Senate Committee of the Whole deliberated on the committee report seeking his censure over the C-5 road extension project and the alleged attempt by his allies in the Senate to unseat Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile who chairs the said committee

The survey also came at a time when questions regarding the certainty of the automation of the May, 2010 elections amid delays in the delivery of the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines and the training of teachers for the automated election system (AES).

Coming in third in the ranking of the most trusted presidential candidates was former President Joseph Estrada with 33 percent, followed by administration bet former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, 32 percent.

In a statement, Villar welcomed the results of the survey which he likened to a "report card for public servants" like him.

"I am grateful to the Filipino people for continuing to put their trust in me and our candidacy.

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Is affiliation with Pres. GMA a bad move for Gibo?

Teodoro impresses MBC, tops mock poll
Manila Bulletin - Thursday, February 18

Officials of the Makati Business Club (MBC) claimed Thursday that Lakas Kampi CMD standard bearer Gilberto "Gibo" Teodoro Jr., who they have admired for his impressive credentials and untainted record in public service, could have been in the forefront of the presidential race for the May 10 elections if not for his association with President Arroyo.

"He's (Gibo) a very impressive person, he has impressive credentials but it's a pity that he is associated with somebody who, to our minds, is not particularly an impressive leader (Mrs. Arroyo)," Ramon del Rosario, MBC chairman, said in an interview.

Del Rosario, who served as finance secretary during the term of then President Fidel V. Ramos, made the comment about Teodoro after he appeared during the presidential candidates' forum hosted by the influential business organization at the Intercontinental Hotel in Makati City.

This developed as another campus in Mindanao has gone green for Teodoro after he topped another mock election at the Mindanao campus of the University of the Philippines.

Thirty-three percent of those who voted in the UP Mindanao mock election picked Teodoro, 45, and the 1989 Bar topnotcher, as the most competent and most qualified among the presidential candidates in the May 10 elections.

Senator Benigno Aquino III came in second with 24.4 percent, 20 percent for Sen. Richard Gordon, third with 20 percent, and Sen. Manny Villar, fourth with 13.3 percent. (Aris Ilagan)Officials of the Makati Business Club (MBC) claimed Thursday that Lakas Kampi CMD standard bearer Gilberto "Gibo" Teodoro Jr., who they have admired for his impressive credentials and untainted record in public service, could have been in the forefront of the presidential race for the May 10 elections if not for his association with President Arroyo. (Aris Ilagan)
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ABS-CBN - Saturday, February 20

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Benigno 'Noynoy' Aquino III has regained the lead over Sen. Manuel Villar in the latest presidential survey conducted January 28-February 3 by Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS).

According to the TNS survey obtained by ABS-CBN News' Ces Oreña Drilon, Aquino was chosen by 41.54% of 3,000 respondents while Villar was picked by 30.63%.

TNS is a global market research firm with an office in the Philippines.

Aquino and Villar were statistically tied in a Pulse Asia survey conducted from January 22 -26, or around a week before the TNS survey, with the Liberal Party bet garnering 37% and the Nacionalista Party (NP) standard-bearer getting 35%. (Read: Aquino, Villar tied in Pulse Asia survey)

Third in the Jan. 28-Feb. 3 TNS survey was former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada of the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) with 11.66%, statistically the same as in the last Pulse Asia survey where he got 12%.

Administration candidate Gilbert Teodoro of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD was fourth with 5.21%, the same as in the last Pulse Asia survey.

Bro. Eddie Villaneuva got 2%, Senator Richard Gordon got 1.7%, Senator Jamby Madrigal got 0.22%, also statistically the same as what they received in the January 22 to 26 Pulse Asia survey.

Villar ethics case as factor

The TNS survey was done around a week after a heated controversy over Villar's ethics case erupted in the Senate, which could be one reason for the changes in the ratings of the two leading presidential candidates.

The Senate committee of the whole's report accusing Villar of unethical conduct in connection with the C-5 road extension project was taken up during the plenary on January 25. The committee had ordered him to return over P6 billion in government funds that were allegedly wasted for the project. (Read: Senators clash in plenary over Villar ethics case)

On January 26, Senate President Enrile also accused Villar of trying to bribe him to change his stand on the issue. (Read: Enrile claims Villar tried to buy him off)

The Senate, however, failed to act on the report after Villar's supporters failed to show up on the last session day of the 14th Congress.

NP downplays survey results

The TNS survey was apparently commissioned by the Aquino camp.

Asked for his comment, NP spokesman and senatorial bet Gilbert Remulla said the report does not disclose how the questions were phrased and whether they were slanted for or against any candidate

"Alam namin na ito ay galing sa Liberal Party. Ayaw nilang banggitin 'yung pangalan eh. Dahil doon, hindi rin namin alam kung ano 'yung mga tanong, kung ano ang slant n'yan, kaya sa ganon ay hihintayin na lang namin ang magiging resulta ng survey ng SWS at Pulse Asia," Remulla said.

("We know this was commissioned by the Liberal Party. They don't want to disclose the name. We also do not know the questions, whether these were slanted...So, we'll just wait for the results of SWS [Social Weather Stations] and Pulse Asia.")

According to the TNS website, it first set up an office in the Philippines in 1983. It offers "full service operations covering all aspects of marketing research and consulting" and claims to be "No. 1 in the Philippines for customised market research."

"Almost 30 years of research experience has made us experts in understanding the Philippines trade and consumer environment. These insights are critical to helping our clients make their important business decisions," TNS Philippines says.

"TNS Philippines offers in-house field and data processing services backed by stringent quality control procedures to make sure the analysis and recommendations we deliver are accurate and timely," the firm says on its website. – report from Ces Drilon, ABS-CBN News

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