SWS: Marcos leads VP race

MARCOS

Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. secured the top spot in the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey despite being bashed by his rivals in last Sunday’s vice-presidential debate.

The 1st quarter election survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 1,500 respondents from March 30 to April 2.

The results of the survey, which were released early Monday on BusinessWorld, showed Marcos clinching the top spot in the race for the second highest post in the country with 26 percent.

The preference ratings of the late dictator’s namesake and son increased by one percent from the previous face-to-face interview conducted by SWS last March 8 to 11.

Escudero suffered the biggest dip in his ratings. From 28 percent last March 8 to 11, it went down to 21 percent in the latest survey.

Liberal Party vice presidential bet Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo (19 percent) was statistically tied in second place with Escudero.

Despite clinching a statistical tie with Escudero, Robredo was hit with a three-point decrease in her rating, from 22 percent during the March 8 to 11 survey.

In third place is Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano with 13 percent. Tied for fourth place are Senator Gringo Honasan and Antonio Trillanes IV with 5 percent each.

In the vice-presidential debate last Sunday, Marcos may have been bashed, but he saw no reason to hold grudges and even described the event as “fun.”

Marcos said the tirades against him were a “standard political strategy” of his rivals.

Marcos was heckled during his opening remarks at the debate, and rival Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano also criticized him on the issues of corruption and human rights abuses, especially during the time of his father.

But despite this, Marcos believed that the attacks were “constructive” and said he does not take the attacks against him personally.