Pres. Aquino still Consulting with Stakeholders on Presidential Bet

President Benigno S. Aquino III is continuously consulting with relevant stakeholders on his preferred candidate for next year’s presidential elections, a Palace official has said.

Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. issued the statement on Thursday, the same day Pulse Asia released its latest survey, which showed Senator Grace Poe topping the list of possible presidential bets for the 2016 national elections.

The survey, conducted from May 30 to June 5, indicated that Poe got 30 percent, an increase from her previous rating of 14 percent, to pull ahead of Vice President Jejomar Binay, who garnered 22 percent.

“Public opinion survey results present a snapshot view of citizen preferences on potential candidates. The President continues to consult with relevant stakeholders and, as he stated most recently, he is looking at the period after his last SONA (State of the Nation Address next month) as the appropriate time for making an announcement on his preferred candidate for the 2016 presidential elections,” Secretary Coloma said.

“Meantime, the President and the Cabinet continue to focus efforts on implementing priority development and reform programs that will ensure the attainment of sustainable and inclusive growth,” he added.

Pulse Asia’s latest survey also showed Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte remaining at third place with 15 percent, followed by Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada and Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II, who were tied at fourth place with 10 percent each.

In last March’s survey, Duterte and Estrada were tied at the third spot. PND (jm)