SWS: 9 Marcos bets stay in Magic 12 after Duterte’s arrest, but Bong Go surges ahead
MANILA, Philippines (Updated 3:34 p.m.) — Most of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s senatorial candidates continued to dominate the March Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey —- the first one conducted and published following the controversial arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte and turnover to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Rep. Erwin Tulfo (ACT-CIS), who has consistently remained on top of surveys from different firms, may have finally found a match in Duterte ally and re-electionist Sen. Bong Go.
Both are currently at 42% of support among the sample size, with Tulfo losing 3 percentage points since February and Go gaining 4 percentage points.
In the February SWS survey for voter preference, Go was only second to the seemingly indomitable Tulfo.
Two members of the administration's "Alyansa" slate who have been noticeably absent from recent events following Duterte’s arrest fared differently from one another: Rep. Camille Villar (Las Piñas) was finally able to crack into the possible winner’s circle, getting 27% of support. Marcos's sister, Imee, meanwhile, has slid further from the Top 12.
Members of the Villar family had publicly voiced their disapproval of Duterte’s arrest, while Imee had publicly criticized it, going as far as conducting a Senate inquiry on March 20. This was the last day that the survey was conducted.
Imee, previously earned 24% support from the respondent base in February, ranking 14th. In March, she saw her rank plummet to 16th with a 19% support. On Wednesday, the day the surey was published, the senator announced her departure from her brother's slate, accusing his cabinet of secrecy surrounding Duterte's arrest.
Here are the candidates that the SWS survey found to be strong contenders for the top 12 in the elections:
- Sen. Bong Go (42%)
- Rep. Erwin Tulfo (42%)
- Ben Tulfo (34%)
- Former senator Tito Sotto (34%)
- Sen. Lito Lapid (33%)
- Sen. Bong Revilla (32%)
- Sen. Pia Cayetano (31%)
- Former senator Ping Lacson (31%)
- Sen. Bato dela Rosa (30%)
- Former senator Manny Pacquiao (27%)
- Makati City Mayor Abby Binay (27%)
- Rep. Camille Villar (27%)
The survey, commissioned by the Stratbase Group, was conducted from March 15 to 20, with face to face interviews with 1,800 registered voters across the country. There is a margin of error of ±2.31%.
Stratbase Group President Dindo Manhit said it was safe to say that the Marcos administration can win big at the elections.
“Beyond the incumbency advantage, the president has fostered unity among various political forces. While the unity between Marcos and Duterte may have dissolved, we’re now seeing strong alignment among traditional political parties and their allies,” Manhit added.
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