At a press briefing, Santiago said, “Bababa nang bababa ‘yan. There is no happy news for him in the near future.”
He got 31 percent in the September survey; prior to that, he had 41 percent in Pulse Asia’s polls results released in June.
Santiago also noted that Binay may remain on top because he continues to lead among those in the poorest Class E (with 30 percent).
However, the feisty senator said members of the Class E may continue to support the Vice President “because they do not have easy access of communication.”
“It takes some time for news to filter down to the masses,” she said. “Sooner or later, all of these matters will filter down to the bottom.”
Other allegations of graft and corruption have surfaced after the Senate conducted a probe.
VP Binay has denied the allegations, while Mayor Binay, on the other hand, described the plunder complaint as “ridiculous, baseless, and clearly politically motivated.”
Poe’s “lineage”
As for Senator Grace Poe’s surge to second in the survey, Santiago attributed the popularity of the neophyte senator’s to her lineage.
“In the case of Grace, she is also strong in almost the same category as Binay — the D category,” she said. That means, she is still coasting on the reputation of his father, and his aborted presidency.”
Poe had ten percent in the last September’s survey, when she was in fourth place.
Meanwhile, reacting to her third place ranking, Santiago said, “In my case, I have been around forever. So when people need to think of a name, they immediately think of me.”
Santiago placed third getting 12 percent, the survey said.
When asked if her latest ranking would convince her to run in the 2016 elections, Santiago said it will be up to her doctors if she would be allowed to do so.
Earlier in December, the senator said she would first need to beat the state four lung cancer plaguing her before she would decide on running for president.
“I have to be in the best of health if I will be president of the Philippines because there are so many things that have to be done simultaneously,” she said.
Santiago’s cancer was discovered last June and is now in remission. — ELR, GMA News
