PULSE ASIA SURVEY SHOWS CHIZ IN VIRTUAL TIE WITH
DE CASTRO, ESTRADA, VILLAR

Opposition Sen. Chiz Escudero is in a virtual four-way tie with Vice President Noli de Castro, former President Joseph Estrada, and Sen. Manuel Villar if presidential elections were held today, according to the results of the latest Pulse Asia survey.

In its May 4-17 poll , Escudero led other opposition presidentiables with 17 percent, closely following perennial frontrunner De Castro who dropped to 18 percent from 19 percent. De Castro is being eyed as the candidate of the merged Partido Lakas-Kampi-CMD.

At third place is former President Joseph Estrada, 15 percent; followed by Senator Manuel Villar, who was down at fourth with 14 percent. Trailing at fifth is Sen. Manuel Roxas with 13 percent.

At 39, Escudero is being billed as a strong presidential candidate among the youth.

"I am humbled by and grateful for the people's confidence in me," Escudero said in a statement in response to the poll results.

The survey, which was released yesterday, shows Escudero as the top choice in vote-rich National Capital Region (NCR) and the rest of Luzon, which account for 55 percent of the electorate.

It also shows that Escudero and de Castro are the only presidentiables who scored double-digits in all areas and all economic classes.

The survey was conducted nationwide from May 4-17. It was based on a sample of 1,200 representative adults, 18 year and above, the report said. It has a margin of error of +/-3 percent with 95 percent confidence level.

The results follows the IBON Foundation's survey last April which shows Escudero topping the list of presidentiables. He was followed by Sen. Manuel Villar, Sen. Loren Legarda, and former Vice President Joseph Estrada. De Castro trailed at 6th place.