SEVEN of the 11 senatorial candidates of the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas would have won the midterm elections if the May elections were held today, the January 18 to 25 survey of Pulse Asia showed.
The survey, released a day before the campaign period officially starts today, Tuesday, showed ACT-CIS Party-List Rep. Erwin Tulfo still the top choice of Filipinos with an overall voter preference of 62.8 percent, followed by re-electionist Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go with a 50.4 percent voter choice, and former Senate President Vicente Sotto III with a 50.2 percent voter’s preference.
Also in the top 12 are businessman-broadcaster Ben Tulfo (46.2 percent), re-electionist Senators Pia Cayetano (46.1 percent), Ramon Revilla Jr. (46 percent), and Imee Marcos (43.4 percent; former Sen. Panfilo Lacson (42.4 percent), television host Willie Revillame (41.9 percent), re-electionist Sen. Ronald dela Rosa (41.2 percent), Makati City Mayor Abigail Binay (41.1 percent), and former Sen. Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao (40.6 percent).
Trailing behind them are Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar (38.4 percent) and re-electionist Sen. Manuel Lapid (37.7 percent).
Making it in the top 20 are former senators Francis Pangilinan (15th, 29.1 percent), Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino (16th, 27.4 percent), and Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan (17th, 25.2 percent); former Interior Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. (18th, 24.8 percent), Doctor Willie Ong (19th, 20.2 percent), and Sen. Francis Tolentino (20th, 19.3 percent).
Rep. Tulfo, Sotto, Cayetano, Revilla, Lacson, Binay, Pacquiao, Villar, Lapid, Abalos and Tolentino are part of the administration’s Bagong Alyansa slate that has been endorsed by President Marcos Jr.
The President previously endorsed his sister, Sen. Marcos, but she declined and preferred to run independently.
Senators Go and Dela Rosa are part of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino Lakas ng Bayan (PDP Laban) Party and were endorsed by former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Other candidates of PDP Laban are Sagip Partylist Rep. Rodante Marcoleta (23rd, 12.5 percent), lawyer Raul Lambino (41st, 1.4 percent), Pastor Apollo Quiboloy (28th, 3 percent), singer-lawyer Jimmy Bondoc (25th, 4.6 percent), actor Philip Salvador (21st, 184 percent) and lawyer Jayvee Hinlo (45th 1.2 percent)).
The Pulse Asia survey, which involved 2,400 adult respondents with a margin of error of ±2 percent, was held on the heels of the President’s signing of the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA), the third impeachment complaint filed against Vice President Sara Duterte, the removal of the Vice President from the National Security Council and attendance of the elder Duterte in the House Quad Committee hearing, all in December 2024; and the peace rally organized by the Iglesia Ni Cristo last January 13.
