LP says Villar's ratings will go down due to C-5

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) - Senator Benigno 'Noynoy' Aquino III still leads in the latest presidential survey conducted January 21-24 by the Social Weather Stations (SWS), but Senator Manny Villar has narrowed the gap to just 7 percentage points.

According to a press release sent out by the Liberal Party (LP) on Monday, its standard-bearer Aquino got 42% support from 2,100 respondents while Villar received 35%.

Aquino's lead over Villar was 19 percentage points in December 5-10 and 11 percentage points in December 27-28.

"If you look at early December, what was that, 19 points, right? And the new one has 7 [points]. So there's no  other conclusion that 7 [point lead] is much smaller than 19 [point lead]," SWS President Mahar Mangahas told ABS-CBN News' Ces Drilon on Monday.

Before the filing of candidacy papers, Aquino's lead over the rest of the aspirants was more than 20 percentage points. He had a 27 percentage-point lead over Villar (Aquino 47%; Villar 20%) in the November 4-8 survey of SWS.

Statistically same for rest
 
Former President Joseph Estrada got 13%, statistically the same as his 15% in the December 27-28 survey. The latest survey was conducted after the Commission on Elections threw out a petition seeking to disqualify Estrada.

The survey has a margin of error of plus/minus 2.2%.

Administration candidate and former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro was chosen by 4% of respondents, also statistically the same as his 5% in the December 27-28 survey.

The ratings of Senator Richard Gordon and Bro. Eddie Villanueva were also statistically the same as in the previous survey.

Gordon got 2% in the January 21-24 survey, up from 0.5% in December 27-28.

Villanueva got 2% in the January 21-24 survey from 1% in December 27-28.

LP downplays Villar's gains

The Liberal Party has attributed Villar's rise in the surveys to his massive political ad spending, which includes endorsements by popular comedians such as Dolphy and Michael V.

In an interview with ABS-CBN News' Ces Drilon, LP campaign manager Florencio 'Butch' Abad downplayed Villar's gains saying they are not that significant compared to the huge amount being spent by the Villar camp on political advertisements. 

"Sa laki ng gastos na ginagawa, gagalaw [dapat] ng malaki yung numero, pero batay nga dito sa huling survey, kung ihahambing mo doon sa December 27-28, halos hindi gumalaw," Abad said.

Abad said the LP also expects Villar's numbers to go down in the next survey as a result of the Senate committee of the whole's recommendation to censure Villar for unethical conduct in connection with the C-5 road project.

The day after the survey period was when senators clashed over the report of the Senate committee of the whole recommending the censure of Villar for unethical conduct in connection with the C-5 road extension project.

On January 26, Senator Juan Ponce Enrile claimed Villar tried to buy him off, a charge Villar denied.

LP spokesman Lorenzo 'Erin' Tanada III said: "We acknowledge the 2% increase of Sen. Villar may have been a result of massive advertising expenses. It also doesn't fully reflect the C-5 controversy since the merits of C-5 hasn't yet been discussed in plenary at the Senate."

Meanwhile, Aquino's spokesman, Edwin Lacierda, said Aquino has a loyal base of supporters who will continue to support the son of the late former President Corazon Aquino

"We are encouraged by the deep commitment of support from more than 40% of the voter base despite the relentless assault of multi-billion peso campaigns. We will be working double time to bring our message of hope and change to the uncommitted decided," Lacierda said.

Villar: C-5 issue only politicking

According to Villar, his opponents brought up the C-5 controversy in response to his improving survey ratings.

"Medyo nababasa rin nila, dahil I'm sure, meron silang mga survey din na mga privately done na nagpapakita ng ganyang resulta kaya biglang nag-init at napaginitan na naman ako. Pero itong issue namang ito, binubuhay buhay na lang. Pero isang taong kalahati nasagutan na natin lahat yan," he told ABS-CBN's Ces Drilon.

Villar also claimed has not increased his spending on political advertisements.

"Ang spending namin, pareho di, at yun naman ay pang kalahatan. Kung tutuusin mo, nagaadvertise na rin sila at bumaba pa. At least ako, tumaas," Villar said.

Mar keeps big lead over Loren

In the vice-presidential race, Senator Mar Roxas II of the Liberal Party was chosen by 49% of respondents in the January 21-24 survey while Senator Loren Legarda of the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) was picked by 28% for a big 21 percentage-point lead

The LP said Legarda's ratings fell from 31% in the December 27-28 survey. Roxas got 47% support in the last survey.

The latest survey of SWS was commissioned by BusinessWorld, which has first disclosure rights.

From a pre-selected list of candidates, respondents were asked who they would choose as the next president and vice-president if elections were held on the day the survey was conducted.

SWS disclosed last January 21 that in a two-person race between Aquino and Villar, Aquino was chosen by 52% of respondents while Villar was picked by 44% in a survey conducted December 27-28. Four percent were undecided. -- with reports from Ces Drilon, ABS-CBN News; Purple S. Romero and Carmela Fonbuena, abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak