Pia is voters' No.1 choice for senator in 2010

Opposition senator Pia S. Cayetano once more emerged as the top preference of Filipino voters among possible senatorial candidates in the coming 2010 national and local elections, according to a recent nationwide poll by Pulse Asia.

The non-commissioned survey conducted from October 14-27 last year showed Cayetano obtaining 46.3 percent of votes to emerge on top of voters' preference. Respondents were allowed to choose up to 12 names from a showlist of possible candidates in next year's elections.

She was closely followed at second and third places by fellow incumbents Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and Sen. Manuel 'Mar' Roxas, who garnered 45.1 percent and 43.5 percent of votes, respectively.

The lady senator, along with Estrada and Roxas, has consistently landed in the top three slots of the senatoriable surveys of both Pulse Asia and Social Weather Stations since last year. She also topped Pulse Asia's July 1-14 survey and placed second to Roxas in the polling firm's February 21-March 8 survey.

Cayetano, a member of the Senate minority bloc, was recently named chair of the committee on social justice. She relinquished her chairmanships of the environment, health and ethics committees in November last year following the leadership change in the chamber.

Other topnotchers of the October survey include: former Senate President Franklin Drilon (4th place, 42.9 percent of voters' preference); Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago (5th place, 42.6 percent); and Sen. Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. (6th place, 39.9 percent).

Rounding up the top twelve are: former senator and current economic planning secretary Ralph Recto (7th place, 38.5 percent); Sen. Jamby Madrigal (8th place, 38.2 percent); former senator Sergio "Serge" Osmeña (9th place, 36.5 percent); lawyer Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel (10th place, 33.6 percent); former senator Ramon "Jun" Magsaysay Jr. (11th place, 32.0 percent); and former senator and current Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) Chairman Vicente "Tito" Sotto III (12th place, 27.7 percent).

Others who obtained a statistical chance of making the so-called "magic twelve" are: Sen. Richard "Dick" Gordon (13th place, 26.4 percent); Makati mayor Jejomar "Jojo" Binay (14th place, 24.6 percent); Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile (15th place, 23.9 pecent), former House Speaker Rep. Jose "Joe" De Venecia (16th place, 23.6 percent); and Sen. Manuel "Lito" Lapid (17th place, 23.2 percent).

Pulse Asia's nationwide surveys are based on face-to-face field interviews using a multi-stage probability sample of 1,200 representative adults 18 years old and above. It has an error margin of +/-3% at 95% confidence level.

Sub-national estimates for each of the geographic areas covered in the survey (i.e., Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao) have a +/- 6% error margin, also at 95% confidence level.