AQUINO-ROXAS TANDEM STAYING STRONG
AQUINO AND ROXAS RATE MORE THAN 40% IN DZRH "DESISYON 2010" POLL

The Liberal Party tandem of Senator Benigno S. Aquino III and Senator Mar Roxas continues to maintain their formidable lead in pre-electoral surveys.

In the "Desisyon 2010" survey commissioned by the Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC) and its radio network DZRH, Aquino and Roxas were chosen by more than 40% of the 7,000 respondents.

"Talagang nakakataba ng puso itong matibay na pagsuporta ng ating mga kababayan sa mga ipinaglalaban namin ni Noynoy at ng Partido Liberal. Kaya talagang tuloy-tuloy na ang laban nating lahat para sa matuwid, matapat at malinis na pamamahala sa bansa (I am really greatful for our people's stable support to the reforms that Noynoy, the Liberal Party and I are fighting for. Our resolve to pursue our fight for clean, honest and straight governance in our country strengthens further)," said Roxas, the LP president.

"Hindi po magiging madali ang ating laban. Siguradong patuloy na haharangin ng mga baluktot at tiwali ang katuparan ng ating mga pangarap. Pero sa ating pagkakaisa--sa patuloy na pananalig natin sa ating mga kakayahan--magtatagumpay tayo (Our fight will not be easy; the crooked and corrupt will try to obstruct the fulfillment of our dreams. But in unity and in trusting in our capabilities, we shall succeed)," he stressed.

Aquino garnered 45.7% of votes, almost double that of the rating of his closest rival, who rated 24.6%. Roxas also leads the vice presidential derby with a rating of 42.4%, ahead by 11.4 percentage points over the runner-up.

Meanwhile, five members of the LP senatorial slate made it to the "magic 12" of the DZRH survey: former Senate President Frank Drilon, former Sen. Ralph Recto, former Sen. Sergio Osmeña, Bukidnon Rep. TG Guingona and Muntinlupa Rep. Ruffy Biazon.

In September last year Roxas sacrificed his own presidential bid to give way to the people's clamor for Aquino to run as President. Since then, pre-election surveys have reflected the Aquino-Roxas tandem's lead. Last month, three reputable polling agencies have conducted surveys which reflected the Liberal tandem's commanding lead over their rivals, despite the latter spending heavily on "infomercials."

In the survey conducted on December 6-10 by pollster Pedro Laylo, Jr. and published in the Manila Standard Today, 46% of its respondents chose Aquino as the candidate they will vote for as President if elections were held today, while Roxas was chosen by 41 percent of the voters as the candidate they will vote for as Vice-President.

In the SWS' December 5-10, 2009 survey for Business World, 46% of voters also chose Aquino for President and 41 percent chose Roxas for Vice-President. In the Pulse Asia survey from December 8-10, 45% of voters chose Aquino for President and 39% chose Roxas for Vice-President.