Three incumbent female local officials—a mayor, a vice mayor and a lawmaker—are leading in the list of possible winners for mayor in Metro Manila in the May 2019 midterm elections.
In the latest RP-Mission and Development Foundation Inc. survey report released Friday, Makati City Mayor Abigail Binay, Quezon City Vice Mayor Ma. Josefina Belmonte, and Pasay City Rep. Imelda Calixto-Rubiano continued to enjoy the top spot in the mayoralty race in their respective cities.
The independent survey, conducted from April 27 to May 1 covering 8,000 registered voters in Metro Manila, showed that Binay, seeking another term, got a strong lead with 64 percent against her younger brother and former Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr. who posted a 34-percent rating.
In Quezon City, Belmonte is leading the mayoralty race with 60 percent as against her rivals Vincent “Bingbong” Crisologo, who posted a 32-percent rating, and former Rep. Chuck Mathay, who received only 4 percent.
Belmonte is the daughter of former House speaker Feliciano Belmonte.
Calixto-Rubiano, younger sister of incumbent Pasay City Mayor Antonino Calixto, on the other hand, was also leading with 74-percent voters preference while her rival Chet Cuneta, brother of megatar Sharon Cuneta, only got 15 percent.
The survey results also showed that voters in the National Capital Region picked former congressman and film/television director Lino Cayetano; and former Vice Mayor Isko Moreno to be their next leaders in Taguig and Manila, respectively.
Cayetano, who wants to replace her sister-in-law Laarni Cayetano as mayor of Taguig, garnered 67 percent against Taguig-Pateros Rep. Arnel Cerafica who got 30 percent.
In the capital City of Manila, Moreno (Francisco Domagoso in real life), a former actor, is leading at 50 percent while incumbent Mayor Joseph Estrada has 33 percent and former mayor Alfredo Lim posted a voter preference of 15 percent.
Moreno served as vice mayor to the administration of both Estrada and Lim in Manila.
Navotas City Rep. Toby Tiangco, who is also running for mayor, is up by 76 percent against Dan Ang’s 20 percent while incumbent Pasig City Mayor Roberto Eusebio is way ahead at 66 percent compared to Vico Sotto, son of comedian and television host Vic Sotto, who scored 33 percent.
In San Juan City, former Vice Mayor Francis Zamora, son of former House speaker Ronaldo Zamora, got 53 percent, ahead by only six points against the incumbent Vice Mayor Janella Estrada, daughter of former mayor and Senator Jinggoy Estrada.
The other leading candidates in the NCR, based on the survey, are incumbent Mayors Rex Gatchalian of Valenzuela City (95 percent), Edwin Olivarez of Paranaque City (62), Jaime Fresnedi of Muntinlupa City (57), Oscar Malapitan of Caloocan City (93), Marcelino Teodoro of Marikina City (93) and Lenlen Oreta of Malabon (65).
