SWS SURVEY SHOWS CHIZ GAINING MOMENTUM
CHIZ HUMBLED BY PEOPLE'S CONFIDENCE IN HIM

Sen. Chiz Escudero said yesterday the latest results of the Social Weather Stations (SWS) on possible successors to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo makes it easier for him to decide whether to run for the presidency when he turns 40 in October.

"I am humbled to be one of those mentioned as a possible replacement of PGMA," the opposition senator said in a statement.

"I am particularly happy the people feel that I can lead this nation," he added. Escudero has said he will announce his political plans when he turns 40 on October 10, making him qualify to run for the presidency.

In the latest SWS poll, Escudero gained four points to maintain his gains in the past year, even as his closest rivals, Vice President Noli de Castro, Senators Manuel Villar and Loren Legarda, have lost ground.

De Castro, who still remains as the frontrunner, got 27%, down by four points from 31 % in December last year, the SWS said. He was closely followed by Villar, who lost 1 point at 26%, and Legarda, who declined by 3 points at 25%.

If Escudero increases ratings further, while the rest of his rivals continue to decline, the opposition senator could very well overtake them and pull away from the pack in the next two quarters.

In the Pulse Asia survey last February, Escudero shot up to 2nd with 17%, closely following De Castro who was at 19%. Former President Joseph Estrada was at 3d with 16% while Villar was 4th at 15%.

The same survey also shows the opposition senator gaining more points than De Castro while Estrada and Villar lost points compared to the October 2008 survey of Pulse Asia.