Pulse Asia: Lapid, Hontiveros-Baraquel get most improved ratings

Senators Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. and Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada may have led the latest Pulse Asia survey on senatorial voter preference, but their ratings are on a decline along with other leading candidates. Meanwhile, those on the rise include another action star and an activist. Sen. Manuel "Lito" Lapid and Akbayan Rep. Ana Theresia "Risa" Hontiveros-Baraquel, running under the Liberal Party as a guest candidate, made the highest jump in their ratings, spiking by 6.6 percent and 6.2 percent, respectively. Pulse Asia’s January senatorial preference survey, conducted through face-to-face interviews of 1,800 adult respondents, showed that Lapid and Hontiveros-Baraquel led the group of 33 senatorial aspirants whose ratings have improved. Revilla and Estrada are among the 49 senatorial bets whose ratings showed a downward trend. Revilla's voter preference rating in January was 51.9 percent. Although it was highest among the candidates included in the survey, it slid by 0.8 percent from 52.7 in December last year. Estrada’s rating also went down to 50.4 percent in January from 55.1 percent in December.

Hontiveros-Baraquel's positive showing had something to do with how her name was listed in the survey forms, observed Pulse Asia. "[Hontiveros-Baraquel], who is currently ranked 17th to 25th with an overall voter preference of 11.0%, appears to have benefited much from being included in this survey with the addition of 'Hontiveros' to her proffered name, an electoral privilege she had to gain from the [Commission on Elections]," the firm said. Hontiveros-Baraquel expressed delight over the latest survey results, pointing out that she had been "continuously inching" her way up the list ever since she figured in the 37th spot in Pulse Asia’s first ever May 2010 senatorial survey last year. "It's a proof that the people want change, not only in Malacañang but also at the Senate," she told GMANews.TV Saturday. When asked what could have helped boost her ratings, Hontiveros-Baraquel said, "[It could have been due] to the track record of my party-list Akbayan and my being a guest candidate on the senatorial slate of Sen. Benigno Aquino III and Manuel Roxas II of LP." Aside from her being identified with the LP tandem, political analyst Ramon Casiple told GMANews.TV on Saturday that the party-list lawmaker's greater "exposure" also contributed to her positive ratings. As an activist, Hontiveros-Baraquel has been a staunch government critic, who started serving in Congress in 2004 as one of the party-list representatives of Akbayan Citizens Party (Akbayan), which placed seventh in the 2007 party-list polls. The 43-year-old lawmaker is currently a member of 11 House committees including the Human Rights, Foreign Affairs, and Women and Gender Equality committees. Before venturing into politics, Hontiveros-Baraquel was a news anchor and program host on GMA-7 for a decade and went on to receive a Golden Dove Award as Best Female Newscaster. As for Lapid, Casiple said the reason behind the senator's rise in the ratings was his "distancing from [President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo] and the advantage of the incumbent." Lapid was a famous action star before he entered politics in 1992 as vice governor of Pampanga. Three years later, he took over the gubernatorial seat in the province from Bren Guiao. Lapid would hold on to the post for a complete three terms. The 54-year-old Pampanga native, a Cabalen of Mrs. Arroyo, then went on to become a senator in 2004. Long ballot, slim chance? The Pulse Asia survey also found that the long ballot to be used in this year's automated elections may turn off voters - and affect the chances of some senatorial candidates. The pollster found out that if elections were held in January, one in 10 voters (10.9 percent) would not vote for any of the senatorial candidates for the May 2010 elections - much higher than the December 2009 figure (3.4%). In other words, they would not shade any circles next to senatorial candidates' names on the ballots. "(This is) possibly due to the use of a sample ballot listing 62 names for the senatorial race," Pulse Asia said. The pollster also said support for several candidates declined in a survey where it used a sample ballot similar to the one to be used in the elections. "Support levels for several senatorial candidates declined during this period, with the biggest drop being recorded by Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago (-10.2 percent), possibly due to the use of a sample ballot," it said. Others who experienced a decline in voter preference between December 2009 and January 2010 are former Senate President Franklin Drilon (-5.2 percent), former Senator Francisco Tatad (-6.5 percent), lawyer Gwendolyn Pimentel (-6.5 percent), former Senator Sergio Osmeña III (-8.6 percent), former socio-economic planning secretary Ralph Recto (-8.7 percent), Bukidnon Rep. Teofisto Guingona III (-8.8 percent), and former Senator Vicente Sotto III (-9.7 percent). - LBG/HGS, GMANews.TV