Clean Public Record is Top Criterion in Filipino Voters' Choice for President - Survey

Metro Manila, Philippines - Filipinos will now judge candidates in the May 2010 polls based mainly on their being corrupt or not, survey results released on Monday showed.

This is the reason why Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, the standard bearer of the Liberal Party, topped the latest Pulse Asia survey on who could be the next President of the Philippines, beating Senators Manny Villar, Chiz Escudero, former President Joseph Estrada, and resigned Defense Secretary Gilberto "Gibo" Teodoro, among others.

"Around two in ten Filipinos (21.2%) are voting for a particular presidential candidate because he/she is not corrupt or is malinis," Pulse Asia said in its press release.

The questionnaire from which this was based reads, Bakit po ninyo iboboto si (PREFERRED CANDIDATE TO BE PRESIDENT) bilang Presidente ng Pilipinas? (Why will you vote for your preferred Presidential candidate?)

Other reasons cited were May Nagawa, May Magagawa (Accomplishments), with 14 percent; Para sa Mahirap, Galing sa Mahirap (Pro-poor), with 12.2 percent; Tumutulong (Helpful), with 12 percent; and, Reputasyon ng Pamilya (Reputation of Family), with 4.2 percent.

Aquino garnered 44 percent of votes out of the 1,800 respondents from Luzon, Metro Manila, Visayas and Mindanao, the survey results showed.

"Senator Benigno C. Aquino III leads all surveyed presidential hopefuls/presidentiables by a big margin. The reason most-often cited in expressing a voting preference for a possible presidential candidate is the latter's clean public record (malinis) or, alternatively, not being corrupt," the Pulse Asia release said.

Villar came in second to Aquino with 19 percent; Escudero at third place with 13 percent; Estrada in fourth with 11 percent; and Vice President Noli de Castro at fifth place with four percent.

Teodoro, the administration's bet, only got two percent; while Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando and Jesus is Lord Movement head Bro. Eddie Villanueva each got one percent only.

For the Vice Presidency, 37 percent of those asked chose Senator Manuel Roxas II, the running mate of Aquino.

Placing second to him is Senator Loren Legarda, with 23 percent. Legarda will be running for the said position in tandem with Villar.

In third place is Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay, the running mate of Estrada, with 13 percent.

The statement said the survey was conducted from October 22 to 30, 2009, employing face-to-face field interviews. The survey has a +/- 2% error margin at the 95% confidence level.

It said that no single party commissioned the research, nor was it influenced by any religious, political, economic and partisan groups./END