Villar, Aquino remain "tie" in SWS survey

Nacionalista Party (NP) standard-bearer Sen. Manny Villar has not left the top spot and remains statistically tied with Liberal Party (LP) candidate Sen. Noynoy Aquino based on the latest presidential preference survey of Social Weather Stations (SWS).

The SWS survey, commissioned by a leading business broadsheet, showed Villar garnering 34 percent, just two percentage points away from Aquino's 36 percent.

With a margin of error of plus-minus 2 points, the ranking of the two presidential candidates are considered tied.

Villar lost one percentage point compared to his previous rating in the January SWS survey but Aquino shed six big percentage points.

Using the ballot format wherein respondents were made to pick out the names of the presidential candidates from a "ballot", the question asked was: "Kung ang eleksyon ay gaganapin ngayon, sino ang pinakamalamang ninyong iboboto bilang Presidente, Bise-Presidente, at mga Senador ng Pilipinas. Narito ang listahan ng mga kandidato. Paki-shade o itiman po ang naa-angkop na oval katabi ng pangalan ng taong pina-kamalamang ninyong iboboto (If the elections were held today, whom would you most probably vote for as President, Vice-President, and Senators of the Philippines. Here is a list of candidates. Please shade the oval beside the name of the persons you would most likely vote for)."

The results of the SWS survey contrasted sharply to the latest Pulse Asia poll conducted February 21-25 or at the height of the EDSA I anniversary, showing Aquino pulling away with 36 percent to Villar's 29 percent.

In the Pulse survey, Villar lost big in Mindanao but this was reversed in the SWS poll showing the NP candidate dipping only by one percentage point.

The SWS survey also showed former president Joseph Estrada solidifying his third ranking with 15 percent, followed by administration bet Gilberto Teodoro with 6 percent and Bro. Eddie Villanueva with 3 percent.

The BusinessWorld-commissioned SWS survey affirms earlier survey results that the presidential race was a tight race between Villar and Aquino.

A latest survey commissioned by the Manila Standard-Today (MST) also confirmed the trend showing Villar and Aquino locked in statistical tie at 34 percent and 36 percent, respectively. Even then, the MST survey was also conducted February 20-26, falling within the EDSA I anniversary week.

NP spokesman and senatorial candidate Gilbert Remulla said the SWS and the MST surveys will serve as their guide in targeting areas and sectors which need to improve on in terms of message delivery and actual campaign work.

"We are confident that with the start of the local campaign late this month, our numbers will firm up as the machinery of the NP starts grinding to reach out to more grassroots centers," he said.

Villar, for his part, said the SWS and MST surveys were proof that the NP campaign is connecting with its message of eradicating poverty and corruption through experience and leadership.

"You can't promise wiping out hunger and corruption if you haven't shown leadership in the past to prove that you can really do it," Villar stressed.

The NP president nevertheless stressed they are pleased with all the survey results that have come out, whether it showed him losing seven points or one point.