MANILA, Philippines – James Yap continued to draw the fans’ votes four weeks before the PBA All-Star game, securing a starting spot in the South lineup in this year’s staging of the annual summer bash slated April 23-25 in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

The Derby Ace starting guard has so far received 39,962 votes and remained the leading player among the 10 who will make up the first five of both the North and South squads.

This marks the sixth straight time that the former MVP out of UE will start for the South team since his rookie season in 2004.

Last year, he suited up for the Powerade-RP Team that played North and South in a series of tune-up games during the All-Star festivities as the Nationals geared up for the FIBA-Asia men’s basketball championship.

Fans have until April 4 to vote their respective selections for the All-Star game. The voting booths are available at the playing venue (Araneta Coliseum) and online at www.pba.ph.

Joining Yap in the South backcourt is high-flying Barangay Ginebra stalwart Cyrus Baguio with 20,012 votes and Yap’s Derby Ace teammate Roger Yap, who drew 18,202 votes or about 1,810 votes behind Baguio.

The South frontline is led by Sta. Lucia’s Kelly Williams (27,554), Erik Menk of Barangay Ginebra with 23,158 and Coca-Cola’s Asi Taulava with 21, 476.

Still in the running is another Derby Ace bet in Rafi Reavis, who trails Taulava by just 2,354 votes (18,206).

For the North squad, Mark Pingris also of Derby Ace, paces its frontline rotation with 29,538 as he ranked second behind Yap for the most number of total votes earned.

The 6-foot-4 power forward is likely to be joined by Llamados teammate Kerby Raymundo (27,128) and Barangay Ginebra’s JC Intal (23,868).

Rookie Rico Maierhofer, however, is slowly gaining ground entering the final week of voting with his 20,546 total, 3,304 votes behind Intal as he aims to make it an all-Derby Ace starting frontline for the North team.

Meanwhile, the North backcourt unit has JayJay Helterbrand of Ginebra and Paul Artadi of Derby Ace as the leading vote getters with 23,296 and 20,950, respectively.

Looking to break through however, is Helterbrand’s long-time partner Mark Caguioa, who trails Artadi by 5,530 votes (15,420).