Most voters in Metro Manila prefer reelectionists or incumbent local chief executives for the coming May 13 midterm elections.
Incumbent leaders such as mayors Abigail Binay (70 percent) of Makati City, Edwin Olivarez (43 percent) of Parañaque City, Imelda Aguilar (68 percent) of Las Piñas City, Jaime Fresnedi (65 percent) of Muntinlupa City, and Miguel Ponce III (55 percent) of Pateros, will most likely earn another term based on the recent survey conducted by the RP Mission and Development Foundation Inc.
The noncommissioned survey, conducted from Feb. 1 to 10 and covering 2,500 respondents in the National Capital Region, also showed that Binay enjoys a strong lead in Makati against her brother, Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr., who posted a 20 percent rating.
Olivarez got 43 percent against his rival, former Parañaque mayor Florencio Bernabe Jr. with 15 percent, while Pasay City Rep. Imelda Calixto-Rubiano, sister of current Mayor Antonino Calixto, leads with 53 percent over Chet Cuneta, brother of actress Sharon Cuneta, who got 16 percent in the survey.
Fresnedi leads the mayoralty survey of Muntinlupa with 65 percent, followed by former Bureau of Immigration deputy commissioner Red Marc Mariñas with 12 percent.
Pasig City Mayor Robert “Bobby” Eusebio, who is seeking reelection, topped the survey with 75 percent against Vico Sotto, son of comedian and TV host Vic Sotto with 21 percent.
Former Manila vice mayor Isko Moreno, meanwhile, garnered 45 percent in the survey against incumbent Mayor Joseph Estrada (26 percent) and former mayor Alfredo Lim (24 percent) in the three-way fight for the capital’s top seat.
In Taguig City, movie director and former congressman Lino Cayetano, brother-in law of incumbent Mayor Laarni Cayetano, got 75 percent against rival Taguig-Pateros Rep. Arnel Cerafica, who got only 17 percent.
Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte, daughter of former city mayor and House Speaker Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte Jr., is the top choice for mayor with 72 percent over Rep. Vincent “Bingbong” Crisologo with only 18 percent.
The other leading candidates for mayor in Metro Manila, based on the survey, were Toby Tiangco (56 percent) for Navotas City, Oscar Malapitan (90 percent) in Caloocan City, Rex Gatchalian (95 percent) in Valenzuela City, Francis Zamora (48 percent) in San Juan, Carmelita Abalos (86 percent) in Mandaluyong City, and Antolin “Lenlen” Oreta III (52 percent) in Malabon City.
Dr. Paul Martinez of RP Mission and Development Foundation Inc. said the firm would continue conducting independent surveys dubbed as “Halalan 2019 NCR Survey” for the May 2019 elections.
The question asked the survey respondents was: “If elections for mayor are to be held today near your place, who among the following candidates will you vote for?”