SWS: Go, 9 Alyansa Senate bets top poll
Senatorial candidates supported by the Marcos administration continue to make up the majority of the projected “Magic 12” in the May 12 elections, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey commissioned by Stratbase Group.
The survey, which was conducted from April 11 to April 15, showed that nine candidates under the Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas coalition continued to dominate the projected winning circle for the senatorial race.
The nine bets—made up of ACT-CIS Rep. Erwin Tulfo, reelectionist Senators Lito Lapid, Pia Cayetano, and Ramon “Bong” Revilla, former Senators Panfilo Lacson, Vicente “Tito” Sotto and Manny Pacquiao, Makati Mayor Abby Binay and Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar—were the same batch of administration-backed senatorial candidates from last month’s projected winning circle.
The Alyansa-dominated list, however, was topped by Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go of PDP-Laban with over 45 percent of respondents supporting him. His score also went up by three percentage points compared to March.
In second place was Tulfo, whose voter preference score increased by one percentage point to 43 percent from the previous month.
In third place, coming up two places from his previous position, was Lapid with 34 percent. Sotto and Cayetano shared the fourth and fifth positions, with both receiving 33 percent. Sotto, however, dropped by one percentage point from March, while Cayetano’s score went up by two percentage points.
Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, also of PDP-Laban, was ranked sixth with 32 percent, an increase of two percentage points from his March standing.
Ben Tulfo drops
Next was broadcaster Ben Tulfo, who dropped from his previous third to fourth place to seventh to eighth place with 31 percent, and Revilla, also ranked at seventh to eighth place with a 31 percent voter preference score.
Binay climbed to ninth place (from her previous standing of 11th to 13th place) with 29 percent—an increase of two percentage points from March—followed by Villar, who rose to 10th place (also from 11th to 13th) with 28 percent, an increase of one percentage point from March.
Rounding up the slate were Lacson in 11th place with 26 percent (down five percentage points) and Pacquiao in 12th place with 25 percent (down two percentage points).
TV host Willie Revillame suffered a drop from his standing in the “Magic 12” from March. He was previously ranked at 10th place but fell to 13 to 14th place, tying with Sen. Imee Marcos who climbed up from 16th place. They both had a voter preference score of 24 percent in April.
Former Senators Bam Aquino and Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan took the 15th to 16th ranks, with each having 21 percent support in April.
Strategic advances
Stratbase president Dindo Manhit attributed the continued success of Alyansa candidates in pre-election surveys to a combination of strategic advances, such as strong name recall and amplified visibility.
With only a month left before the elections, Manhit urged voters to focus on the track record and plans for the country of candidates, rather than popularity, media exposure and party affiliation.
The survey had 1,800 respondents and a plus-or-minus 2.31 percent margin of error.
Vice President Sara Duterte confirmed on Monday her support for the candidacies of Villar and Marcos, on top of the 10 other senatoriables running under the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), which is chaired by her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte.
“The #Duterte10 senatorial candidates … together with reelectionist Sen. Imee Marcos and Rep. Camille Villar are united by a common vision—a peaceful and prosperous Philippines,” she said in a statement.
“This vision is solid enough to break through the walls of the existing political division in the country,” she added.
Senator Marcos earlier dropped out of the Alyansa slate, citing her differences with her brother, President Marcos, particularly over the arrest and transfer to The Hague of the elder Duterte.
The outcome of the senatorial race will play a huge part in the political future of the Vice President who faces an impeachment trial before the Senate. She is accused of culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery, graft and corruption, and betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes, including her alleged misuse of up to P612.5 million in confidential funds of her office and the Department of Education from 2022 to 2023. —WITH A REPORT FROM DEMPSEY REYES
