3 bets tied for lead in Senate race – poll

THE latest nationwide survey by the research firm Tangere reveals a three-way statistical tie for the top Senate spot between Ben Tulfo, his brother Rep. Erwin Tulfo and incumbent Sen. Bong Go. The survey, conducted from April 7 to 9 with 2,400 respondents, has Ben Tulfo with a narrow lead of 55.71 percent in voter preference, mainly through strong support from millennial and Generation Z voters in Metro Manila and the Visayas. Close on his heels is Senator Go, posting a significant gain with 55.17 percent buoyed by backing from Mindanao, where he enjoys the highest voter preference. ACT-CIS Rep. Erwin Tulfo follows at 54.42 percent, drawing much of his base from Northern and Central Luzon, especially among older voters. Sen. Bong Revilla, who ranked 4th with 47.13 percent, led this month's biggest gainers, with support coming from the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) region. Former Senate president Vicente Sotto III is in a statistical tie with Revilla at 45.21 percent. Sen. Francis Tolentino climbed up the rankings to tie between 11th and 17th place with 32.96 percent, boosted by voters in Calabarzon and the National Capital Region. Rep. Rodante Marcoleta reentered the spotlight, tying for 19th-20th with 23.13 percent, largely fueled by Mindanao and Iglesia Ni Cristo supporters. Completing Tangere's top 12 are: – Sen. Pia Cayetano (39.17 percent) – Former DILG secretary Benhur Abalos (38.08 percent) – Sen. Lito Lapid (37.92 percent) – Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa (37.42 percent) – Former senator Panfilo Lacson (37.29 percent) – Former senator Manny Pacquiao (34.25 percent), who slid to 11th following a dip in Mindanao support Tangere said the survey suggests an electorate both divided and deeply engaged, with shifting regional dynamics and generational preferences playing a critical role in shaping the senatorial race. The mobile-based survey employed a stratified random sampling method with a ±1.96 percent margin of error. Go, meanwhile, is the front-runner in Pulse Asia's latest survey, with Erwin Tulfo and Dela Rosa tied for second and third places. The March 23 to 29 poll has Go in "solo first place," with 61.9 percent of the respondents supporting his candidacy. Tulfo had 51.1 percent and Dela Rosa with 48.7 percent in voter preference. Sotto was 4th place with 44.2 percent. "Out of the 64 senatorial candidates vying for seats in the upcoming elections, 16 have a statistical chance of winning if the May 2025 elections were held during the survey period," Pulse Asia said. Other candidates who have a statistical chance of securing a Senate seat are Cayetano (37.5 percent, fifth to 10th); Revilla (36.9 percent, fifth to 11th); Lacson (36 percent, fifth to 11th); TV celebrity Willie Revillame (35.7 percent, fifth to 12th); Ben Tulfo (35.4 percent, fifth to 12th); Makati City Mayor Abby Binay (35.3 percent, fifth to 12th); Sen. Lito Lapid (33.3 percent, sixth to 13th); Pacquiao (32 percent, eighth to 16th); actor Phillip Salvador (30.9 percent, 11th to 17th); Las Piñas City Rep. Camille Villar (29 percent, 12th to 18th places); former senator Bam Aquino IV (28.6 percent, 12th to 18th); and Sagip party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta (28.3 percent, 12th to 18th). The survey also revealed that 38 percent of registered voters identified a complete slate of 12 candidates. On average, respondents named nine candidates, with a median of 10. Voter preferences varied slightly across regions and socioeconomic groups, with figures ranging from seven to 12 names selected. The same survey showed that virtually all Filipinos (99 percent) report awareness of the party-list system in the country. Out of the 155 party-list groups participating in the May 12 elections, 45 would secure at least one seat if the elections were held during the survey period. "Among these, five party-list groups — Tingog (6.11 percent), ACT-CIS (5.57 percent), Duterte Youth (4.74 percent), PPP (4.64 percent) and 4PS (4.59 percent) — are in a position to win the maximum number of seats a party-list group can win," Pulse Asia said. The survey is based on face-to-face interviews with 2,400 randomly selected Filipino adults. It has a margin of error of ±2 percent at the national level, with higher margins in specific regions, including ±5.7 percent in the National Capital Region, ±3 percent in the rest of Luzon, ±4.6 percent in the Visayas and ±4.1 percent in Mindanao.