PRIME PICK. Richard Gordon tops the mock poll and a separate survey of senatoriable choices of Ateneans. In the photo, he holds a copy of the Food Donation Act of 2009, of which he is one of the two primary authors. Photo from richardgordon.blogspot.com.

THE ATENEO Task Force (ATF) 2013 revealed that senatorial candidate Richard Gordon was the top choice of Ateneans during the mock poll it conducted last December 2012.

The three-day mock poll, dubbed “Pulso Azul,” aimed to get a pulse of the Ateneo student body, regardless of eligibility to vote.

Gordon, Risa Hontiveros and Chiz Escudero took the top three spots, garnering 73.85%, 69.23% and 64.62%, respectively.

Fourth through twelfth placers in the mock poll were the following: Alan Peter Cayetano, 56.92%; Bam Aquino, 53.85%; Koko Pimentel III, 46.15%; Juan Miguel Zubiri, 43.08%; Loren Legarda, 41.54%; Ramon Magsaysay, Jr., 40.00%; Antonio Trillanes IV, 33.85%; Jamby Madrigal, 32.31%; and Grace Poe, 26.75%.

In a separate survey conducted by the Ateneo Statistics Circle (A-Stat) in January, Gordon also emerged as the number one pick of eligible Atenean voters.

Comparison of results

In both the mock poll and the A-Stat survey, Gordon and Hontiveros placed first and second, respectively.

Also present in the top twelve of both were the following: Escudero, Cayetano, Aquino, Pimentel, Zubiri, Poe, Trillanes and Magsaysay.

The only difference in the results of the mock poll and the survey was in one slot for senator. Madrigal reached the top twelve of ATF’s mock poll, but was not in the same roster in the later survey by A-Stat. Juan Edgardo Angara was in the latter’s top twelve.

Madrigal ranked twelfth in the mock poll, while Angara ranked the same in the January survey.

The mock poll also revealed that the three most important specific issues Ateneans want legislators to focus on are the K+12 system, the Reproductive Health bill (which has since become a law) and the Freedom of Information bill.

Updated 10:14 PM, May 18, 2013.