ONLY four new faces—boxing icon Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao, former Justice secretary Leila de Lima, former Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel, and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez—made it to the top 12 senatorial bets for the 2016 polls, the latest survey commissioned by The Standard shows.
The Standard Poll of 1,500 respondents from Dec. 4 to 12, showed reelectionist Senator Vicente Sotto III at the top spot with 57 percent.
Former Senator Francis Pangilinan placed second at 48 percent, followed by Senate President Franklin Drilon (47 percent), former Senator Panfilo Lacson (46 percent) and former Senator Ralph Recto (44 percent).
Pacquiao and De Lima were tied with 40 percent each, followed by former Senator Miguel Zubiri (39 percent), Senator Sergio Osmeña III (37 percent), former Senator Richard Gordon (33 percent), and Hontiveros-Baraquel and Romualdez, both with 28 percent.
Respondents also listed the top issues that a senatorial bet should focus on, including creating more jobs (75 percent), addressing sectoral needs (36 percent), standardizing salaries (36 percent), implementing the K-12 educational program (33 percent) and preventing and responding to disasters (27 percent).
They also identified problems that would cause them not to vote for a candidate—involvement in corruption (61 percent), probability that he will cheat in the elections (58 percent), has no word of honor or does not fulfill promises (36 percent), selective in helping (35 percent), and use of illegal drugs (29 percent).
Rounding up the next 12 were Senator Teofisto Guingona III (26 percent); Valenzuela Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian (25 percent); Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno (20 percent); former Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority director general Mark Lapid (19 percent); former Technical Education and Skills Development Authority chief Joel Villanueva (17 percent); actor Edu Manzano (13 percent); former Metro Manila Development Authority chief Francis Tolentino and Parañaque councilor Alma Moreno at 12 percent each; former Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares (7 percent); and labor advocate Susan Ople and Melchor Chavez at 6 percent each; and Allan Montaño, broadcaster Rey Langit, and Alexander Ali at 5 percent each.
Across geographic areas, Sotto was the frontrunner in Metro Manila (69 percent), North/Central Luzon (58 percent), South Luzon/Bicol (60 percent) and Visayas (59 percent). Pacquiao, however, was the top choice of respondents from Mindanao at 61 percent, followed by De Lima at 59 percent.
A majority of respondents from urban (68 percent) and rural (53 percent) areas also said they will vote for Sotto if the elections were held today.
Sotto was also the top choice across all economic classes, with 49 percent from those belonging to upper and middle classes ABC, and 59 percent and 56 percent, respectively, from those belonging to the poorer DE classes.
He also got a majority of votes from both male (58 percent) and female (57 percent) respondents, and across all age group—53 percent from those aged 18-34; 60 percent from those aged 35-55; and 58 percent from those aged 56 and above.
Across religious affiliations, Sotto was the top choice of Catholics (58 percent) and Iglesia Ni Cristo members (61 percent). Pangilinan was the frontrunner among Born Again members (59 percent) while De Lima was the top choice of Muslim respondents (74 percent).
Sotto led among Tagalog respondents (67 percent), Cebuanos (53 percent), Ilocanos (46 percent), Bicolanos (49 percent) and Warays (71 percent), while Drilon was the top choice of Ilonggos (63 percent) and Pacquiao took the lead among Muslim groups (76 percent).
The Standard Poll is the only survey that has 1,500 respondents from 76 provinces across the country and the 17 cities in the National Capital Region.
It also has the longest coverage period from Dec. 4 to 12.
It has a margin of error of +/- 2.6 percent nationwide and +/-6 percent each for Metro Manila, North/Central Luzon, South Luzon/Bicol, Visayas and Mindanao.