Senator Grace Poe (MNS Photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) – Sen. Grace Poe has nearly tied Vice President Jejomar Binay in the latest presidential preference survey conducted by independent think tank IBON Foundation.
The IBON survey conducted from May 13 to 23, 2015 showed that 13.8 percent of respondents wanted Binay to be the next highest leader of the country while 13.7 percent of respondents preferred Poe.
Coming in third place was Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who was preferred by 7.6 percent of the respondents.
IBON explained that the respondents were not given any names of potential candidates during the survey but were asked to name the person they preferred to be the next president.
The survey had 1,496 respondents. The IBON survey has a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3 percent.
While he has repeatedly stated that he has no plan of seeking re-election, President Benigno Aquino III landed in fourth place with 4.2 percent of respondents wanting him to remain in office.
Following Aquino in the ranking was his close ally and former running mate Interior Secretary Mar Roxas who was preferred by 3.8 percent of the respondents.
The IBON said among the issues when the survey was conducted were the corruption allegation against Binay as well as the mounting speculation that Poe will run for President.
IBON Foundation executive director Sonny Africa said that the results of poll surveys might change significantly once personalities file their certificates of candidacy.
Of the five personalities that topped the IBON survey, only Binay had confirmed running for President in 2016.
Poe and Roxas have yet to give a categorical answer on whether or not they will run for President.
Aquino and Duterte, meanwhile, have earlier denied any intention to run for the highest office, but the latter had a paid advertisement airing on television.
In the most recent surveys of Pulse Asia and Social Weather Stations, Binay, Poe, and Duterte were also the top three preferred personalities to become the next President. (MNS)