(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III is the most popular presidential contender in the Philippines, according to a poll by Pulse Asia. 36 per cent of respondents would vote for Aquino of the Liberal Party (PLP) in the May ballot, down one point since January.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III is the most popular presidential contender in the Philippines, according to a poll by Pulse Asia. 36 per cent of respondents would vote for Aquino of the Liberal Party (PLP) in the May ballot, down one point since January.
Senator Manuel Villar of the Nacionalista Party (PNP) is second with 29 per cent, followed by former president Joseph Estrada with 18 per cent. Support is lower for former secretary of National Defence Gilberto Teodoro, religious and political leader Eddie Villanueva, and senator Richard Gordon.
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo took over as president in January 2001, following Estrada’s resignation. Arroyo won a six-year term in the June 2004 presidential election, garnering 39.99 per cent of all cast ballots. Noli De Castro—running as Arroyo’s running mate, but not as part of a single ticket—received 49.79 per cent of all cast ballots in the vice-presidential election, defeating Loren Legarda.
In May 2007, voters in the Philippines renewed the House of Representatives and one-half of the Senate. Final results gave seven of the 12 upper house seats at stake to Genuine Opposition (GO) candidates, followed by the pro-government Team Unity (TU) with three, and two independents.
In 1986, Corazon Aquino—the widow of murdered opposition leader Benigno Aquino—took over as president when long-time dictator Ferdinand Marcos was forced to flee to Hawaii. Aquino accused Marcos of stealing a presidential election, and led a series of massive demonstrations that came to be known as "People Power" in order to topple the regime. Aquino ended her presidency on a high note and remained an extremely popular figure in the country, until her death in August 2009.
Aquino’s death ignited a sudden interest in her son Aquino III becoming a presidential candidate. A grass-roots movement urged him to run and the senator officially launched his bid in September.
Yesterday, Estrada discussed his chances, saying, "I think Number 1 [Aquino] is harder to beat. I want to be Number 1. If he is still Number 1 [by May], he will be the hardest to beat."
The presidential election is scheduled for May 10. Arroyo is ineligible for a consecutive term in office.
Polling Data
Of the people in this list, for whom would you vote for as president of the Philippines if the elections of 2010 were held today and they were presidential candidates?
|
Feb. 2010
|
Jan. 2010
|
Dec. 2009
|
|
|
Benigno Aquino III
|
36%
|
37%
|
45%
|
|
Manuel Villar
|
29%
|
35%
|
23%
|
|
Joseph Estrada
|
18%
|
12%
|
19%
|
|
Gilberto Teodoro
|
7%
|
5%
|
5%
|
|
Eddie Villanueva
|
2%
|
2%
|
1%
|
|
Richard Gordon
|
1%
|
1%
|
1%
|
|
Other / None / Undecided
|
7%
|
8%
|
1%
|
Source: Pulse Asia
Methodology: Face-to-face interviews with 1,800 Filipino adults, conducted from Feb. 21 to Feb. 25, 2010. Margin of error is 3 per cent.
