Tulfo brothers still leading in new Senate poll

MANILA, Philippines —  Two brothers of Sen. Raffy Tulfo are still the most preferred candidates for senator in a voter preference survey conducted by polling firm Tangere.

The survey, conducted from Nov. 6 to 9, found that 64.83 percent of the respondents would vote for ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo if the elections were held during the survey period.

Following him is his brother, media personality Ben Tulfo, who received 52.25 percent of support.

According to Tangere, Erwin achieved high voter preference across areas and socio-economic classes, while support for Ben was high among voters from Visayas, Mindanao, and Central and Northern Luzon. The Tulfo brothers, however, received significantly lower preference among voters above 50 years old.

Tied on third to fourth spot were Sen. Bong Go and former Senate president Vicente Sotto III, who received the support of 50.13 percent and 49.71 percent of the respondents.

Go’s rating was driven by respondents from Mindanao and voters aged 36-50 years old.

Sotto’s ranking was due mainly to voters in Central and Northern Luzon, but had lower voter preference among those aged 18 to 25 years.

They were followed by former senators Manny Pacquiao (41.5 percent, driven mostly by Visayas respondents) and Panfilo Lacson (41 percent, on back of voters 36 years old and above), Sen. Pia Cayetano (40. 46 percent, largely through Metro Manila voters), Makati Mayor Abby Binay (37 percent, mostly Metro Manila voters aged 26-35 years) and former interior secretary Benhur Abalos (33.96 percent, Metro Manila, upper and middle income classes).

Meanwhile, statistically tied for the last three slots in the so-called Magic 12 were reelectionist Senators Lito Lapid (31.92 percent), Bong Revilla (31.17 percent), Francis Tolentino (31.04 percent) and Ronald dela Rosa (30.83 percent), former senator Bam Aquino (30.50 percent), Sen. Imee Marcos (30.42 percent), former senator Francis Pangilinan (30.33 percent), social media personality Willie Ong (30.25 percent) and television host Willie Revillame (30.08 percent).