Binay has core supporters of 35% - SWS

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Almost a year since the Senate Blue Ribbon Subcommittee began its probe of corruption allegations againsthim, Vice President Jejomar Binay has to contend with two more of what Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV calls exposes.

Despite the barrage of charges, Binay's political spokesman Mon Ilagan said the vice president still has a big chance of winning in the 2016 elections.

Binay's secret weapon?

"Meron siyang core group. Around 25% yung strength niya," Ilagan said on Thursday (August 13).

[Translation: "He has a core group of around 25%. That's his strength."]

Ilagan said these loyalists was the product of the vice president's visits and consultations all over the country.

He said these were mostly people from class C, D and E.

Leo Laroza, director for survey data archives of the Social Weather Stations (SWS), confirmed this on Friday (August 14).

Based on its presidential pre-election surveys from December 2014 to June this year, SWS noted that Binay had a core support of about 35%.

Laroza explained that this core group of supporters was the reason Binay's numbers in the surveys had been steady — despite what the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) claimed as a demolition job against the vice president.

"His numbers remain steady. Based on study, (Senate hearings) did not affect how people see him," Laroza noted.

Pulse Asia's presidential preference surveys from July last year to June 2015 showed that Binay's supporters were scattered all over the country — and were spread almost evenly among all social classes.

Political analyst Malou Tiquia explained that Binay's core group was built through the years.

She said the vice president was able to cement the support by going around the country for the last five years.

"Ang importante sa mga tao kasi iyong nabibisita mo iyong lugar... If you check his schedule, I think he is the only national candidate who was able to physically go around the 81 provinces of the country," Tyquia noted.

[Translation: He goes around, and that is important to people."]

Another factor that helped build Binay's solid group, according to Tiquia, was  Makati's sisterhood cities program, which began when the vice president was still a mayor.

Today, Makati has a sister city agreement with over 600 local government units.

"You give them money, programs, mentoring... When you help a poor city to develop entrepreneurs, that's the way to cement their support," Tyquia said.

While she said it would be hard to break the hardcore support for Binay, he still must respond squarely to the corruption charges thrown at him — because these would continue to haunt him come election season.