Liberal Party (LP) standard bearer Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III has regained his double-digit lead over his closest rival, Nacionalista Party (NP) bet Senator Manuel Villar, in the latest presidential survey conducted by Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS), a leading international market research and market information group. The TNS survey, conducted Jan. 28-Feb. 3, showed Aquino getting the approval of 41.54 percent of 3,000 respondents while Villar was picked by 30.63 percent. The previous survey, conducted by Pulse Asia from Jan. 22 -26, showed Aquino and Villar statistically tied, with Aquino garnering 37 percent and Villar getting 35 percent. Placing third in the TNS survey was former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada of the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) with 11.66 percent, statistically the same as in the last Pulse Asia survey where he received 12 percent. The ruling Lakas party's bet Gilbert Teodoro was fourth with 5.21 percent, the same as in the last Pulse Asia survey. Trailing him were Bro. Eddie Villaneuva who got 2 percent, Senator Richard Gordon, 1.7 percent, and Senator Jamby Madrigal, 0.22 percent -- also statistically the same results as the l latest Pulse Asia survey. TNS officials said their survey was done a week after Villar was slapped with an ethics case in the Senate where he was accused of rerouted a road extension project that purportedly benefited his housing and real estate business. TNS said this could be the primary reason for the sudden changes in the ratings of the two leading presidential candidates. Villar drew the ire of fellow senators for boycotting the Senate hearings on his case. The animosity worsened further when Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile accused Villar of trying to bribe him to change his stand on the issue. However, Villar's ethics case was left hanging as he and his supporters failed to show up on the last session day of the 14th Congress. Villar and Estrada both downplayed the results of the latest presidential survey, noting that the survey was commissioned by Aquino's party.
