ROXAS CONTINUES TO LEAD IN PRE-2010 ELECTION SURVEYS

Sen. Manuel "Mar" Roxas, the vice presidential torch-bearer of the Liberal Party, continued to lead in the latest pre-election survey conducted by the reliable survey firm Social Weather Stations (SWS) commissioned by Business World.

Roxas fared much better than his closest rival with a 43.3% rating in the December 5-10 survey conducted among 2,100 adults nationwide. The runner-up vice presidential bet only had 32%, or a difference of 11.3% or approximately 5.5 million votes.

The latest poll results shadowed similar surveys conducted by the SWS during the last quarter of the year following the decision of the Visayan senator to sacrifice his presidential bid in favor of the more popular Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino.

Both Aquino and Roxas share a platform of bureaucratic reforms and good governance and a vision of a new Philippines - one where economic, industrial, agricultural and social stability is guaranteed and where red tape and corruption would have no place.

"Nagpapasalamat po tayo sa ating mga kababayan na patuloy na naniniwala sa aking kakayahan na baguhin ang ating bansa at dalhin ito sa isang bagong bukas kung saan ang lahat ay pantay-pantay at ang kapakanan ng mamamayan ang sentro ng bawat pagkilos ng gobyerno," Roxas reacted to the survey result.

The result, he added, indicates how worn-out the Filipino people have become with the graft and corruption that characterized the traditional politics by which the Philippine government has been run for decades.

"Pagod na pagod na ating mga kababayan sa kabulukan na nakikita nila sa ating mga politiko. Ang tiwalang ibinibigay nila sa akin ay pagpapakita lamang ng kanilang kauhawan sa pagbabago," he said.

Roxas, however, urged his supporters to remain vigilant against persistent efforts to dampen the Liberal Party's fight for change and the propensity of traditional politicians to twist facts and highlight insignificant data for their own political grooming.

"Hindi po magiging madali ang ating laban dahil siguradong patuloy na haharangin ang katuparan ng ating mga pangarap. Hindi tayo maaaring maging kampante. Patuloy tayong maging mapagmatyag," he said.

Roxas also led in the SWS vice presidential survey held from November 4 to 8. Roxas got a 31% rating, or a 5% lead over his closest rival, Sen. Loren Legarda of the Nacionalista Party.