Erwin Tulfo still tops Senate preference poll

MANILA, Philippines — House deputy majority leader and ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo remains the most preferred among potential candidates for the Senate in the 2025 midterm elections, a recent survey conducted by Pulse Asia showed.

Pulse Asia president Ronald Holmes confirmed the results of the June 17 to 24 survey in an interview with “Storycon” over One News on Friday.

The survey found that 58 percent of the respondents would vote for Tulfo if the elections were held during the survey period.

He was followed by former Senate president Vicente Sotto III (50.4 percent), Sen. Pia Cayetano (42.7 percent), Tulfo’s brother and fellow broadcaster Ben Tulfo (40.9 percent), former president Rodrigo Duterte (38.7 percent) and Sen. Bong Go (36.6 percent).

Completing the so-called Magic 12 were Sen. Imee Marcos (33.8 percent), former senators Manny Pacquiao (33.5 percent) and Panfilo Lacson (32.2 percent), former Manila mayor Isko Moreno (31.7 percent), Sen. Ronald dela Rosa (31.3 percent) and Sen. Bong Revilla (29.9 percent).

Trailing them were actress and former Batangas governor Vilma Santos-Recto (23.6 percent), Sen. Lito Lapid (21.4 percent), former senator Francis Pangilinan (19.2 percent), Makati Mayor Abby Binay (18.9 percent), broadcaster Ted Failon (18.8 percent), former senator Gregorio Honasan (18.6 percent), doctor Willie Ong (18.3 percent) and Sen. Francis Tolentino (17.6 percent).

Cayetano, Go, Marcos, Dela Rosa, Revilla, Lapid and Tolentino are eligible for reelection.

Holmes said they supplied 68 names for the survey, including those who expressed their intent to run and certain personalities suggested by various groups.

Two of Duterte’s sons – Davao City Mayor Sebastian and Davao Rep. Paolo Duterte – were also included in the poll, but they ranked at 20th to 28th and 21st to 30th, respectively.