ROXAS TOPS VOTER PICK FOR VP, NEW SURVEY SHOWS
SURVEY SHOWS ROXAS LEAD COULD GIVE 5-M LEAD OVER NEAREST RIVAL

Liberal Party vice-presidential candidate and race leader Senator Mar Roxas remains the voters' top choice to become the next Vice-President, with the latest survey indicating voter support for him with seven days left before Filipinos elect their new leaders which could mean a landslide victory for him and his standard bearer Senator Benigno S. Aquino III.

Based on the survey conducted by pollster Junie Laylo for the Manila Standard Today from April 25-27 among 2,500 respondents, Roxas was picked by 38% of voters as their choice to become the next Vice-President, giving him a 10-point lead over second-placer Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay who got 28%.

Senator Loren Legarda, who had consistently landed second in surveys, slid to third place with 20%, with the rest of the candidates failing to go beyond the single-digit ratings they got since the start of the campaign.

Roxas' camp expressed confidence his lead over his poll rivals will be stronger as election day nears with the endorsement of his candidacy this weekend by religious leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and by popular regional political leaders like Leyte Gov. Icot Petilla, Sagay City Mayor Alfredo Maranon who is expected to win as governor of vote-rich Negros Occidental, and congressmen from the Northern Alliance led by Ilocos Sur Rep. Eric Singson.

Roxas is also expected to receive today the endorsement of the biggest labor group in the country that solidifies the labor sector's support for his bid to become the next Vice-President following an earlier announcement of support for him and Aquino from major labor groups under the group Workers under Aquino-Roxas. Forty-seven farmers' groups representing close to half a million farmers nationwide have also thrown their support for the LP tandem.

Pre-election voter preference surveys conducted by independent polling firms have shown Roxas leading the vice presidential race, with the latest Pulse Asia polls conducted from April 23-25 showing Roxas leading the race with 37% choosing him over his rivals.