MANILA - If administration ally Cebu Rep. Antonio Cuenco is to be believed, majority of the congressmen prefer Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to become the next president.  

“If you conduct a survey among members of the House of Representatives, tatlo ang preferences nila. Not necessarily in this order—Gibo [Gilbert Teodoro], Noynoy, and Manny Villar,” Cuenco said in a press conference on Thursday in Quezon City.  

At the sidelines of the press conference, he told reporters that the Liberal Party (LP) candidate allegedly topped an informal survey he conducted. Senator Manuel Villar of the Nacionalista Party and Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD placed second and third, respectively.  

Initially, Cuenco said Aquino and Villar were neck and neck in his survey, but upon further prodding, he said: “Let’s just say it’s 100-50-50.”  

Colleagues doubt survey

Abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak asked six congressmen--House Speaker Prospero Nograles, Cavite Reps. Jesus Crispin Remulla and Elpidio Barzaga, Nueva Ecija Rep. Rodolfo Antonino, Quezon Rep. Lorenzo Tañada, and Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara-- about Cuenco’s survey, and they gave various responses.

While Tañada and Angara were not surprised with Cuenco’s numbers, Nograles and Barzaga questioned its accuracy.  

“I expect Aquino, Escudero, Teodoro, and Villar to get their share among congressmen since they were all congressmen, too. Perhaps Aquino’s advantage is that his mom was a president who also has a lot of goodwill among politicians and the public,” said Angara.  

Tañada, the spokesman of LP, said: “That [preference for Aquino] is a sign--if it is true--of the mood of the country.”  

Nograles said he also conducted an informal survey among congressmen. “My survey has a different result, but I’m not one to announce it. It’s a personal survey and should be kept personal,” he said.  

“I do not really know if the survey [of Cuenco] is accurate. I was of the impression that most of the congressmen are for Gibo,” said Barzaga.  

Erap, Chiz not among choices

Cuenco said he personally conducted the survey by asking around 200 congressmen. “Every time we are at the lounge, we compare notes. That is a result of my own personal survey,” he said.  

He said the survey was done after the national executive committee of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD endorsed Teodoro as its standard-bearer in 2010. It is subject to the ratification by the party's national convention in October.  

He said former President Joseph Estrada and Senator Francis Escudero were not among the choices because they have yet to formally announce if they will seek the presidency.  

No commitments

Nevertheless, Cuenco said the preferences of members of the House of Representatives may still change depending on various factors such survey results and logistics.  

“There’s a big difference between your heart crying out for Noynoy, just like my heart beats for Noynoy, pero wala pang desisyon yan e,” he said.

“We have to examine first the character of each of the candidates. Of course, we have expressed our preferences, ako na lang e tatlo ang preferences ko dyan. Madaming kandidato but I’ve expressed my preference for three of them. But I’ll make my final choice when the right time comes sometime in November,” he added.

Cuenco was with the late Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino in the anti-Marcos movement. In 1984, he was an opposition candidate for a seat in the Batasang Pambansa.

In 1988, Cuenco ran under President Aquino's party, the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP), and won as representative of a district of Cebu City.