Tulfo, Go top Senate preferences – OCTA poll

MANILA, Philippines — Rep. Erwin Tulfo of ACT-CIS party-list and Sen. Bong Go have emerged as the most preferred among potential candidates for the Senate in the 2025 midterm elections, a recent survey conducted by the OCTA Research group showed.

The Sept. 30 to Oct. 4 survey, conducted more than a year and a half before the next Senate polls, showed that 60 percent of respondents would likely vote for Tulfo if the elections were held during the polling period.

Tulfo, a former media personality, is the brother of Sen. Raffy Tulfo, who ranked third in the 2022 polls. He was initially appointed by President Marcos as social welfare secretary, but he was not reappointed after he was bypassed by the Commission on Appointments twice.

He later joined Congress as a replacement nominee for ACT-CIS. He currently serves as deputy majority leader.

Meanwhile, some 49 percent said they would vote for Go, an aide of former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is eligible to run for a second term.

They were followed by former Senate president Vicente Sotto III (42 percent), Sen. Imee Marcos (39 percent), Sen. Ronald dela Rosa (39 percent), Sen. Pia Cayetano (36 percent) and former Manila mayor Isko Moreno (35 percent).

Following them were former senator Panfilo Lacson (32 percent), Sen. Bong Revilla (32 percent), Sen. Francis Tolentino (28 percent), Sen. Lito Lapid (26 percent) and former senator Manny Pacquiao (26 percent).

Like Go, also eligible to run for a second term are Marcos, Dela Rosa, Cayetano, Revilla, Tolentino and Lapid.

Meanwhile, outside the so-called Magic 12 but within statistical chances of winning was doctor and former vice presidential bet Willy Ong.

Trailing them are former senators Francis Pangilinan and Gregorio Honasan II (19 percent), former vice president Noli de Castro (19 percent), Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. (18 percent), former senator Richard Gordon (16 percent), Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos (15 percent) and former vice president Leni Robredo (15 percent).

They were followed by former Anakalusugan party-list representative Mike Defensor (14 percent), former senator Ralph Recto (14 percent), Ormoc Mayor Richard Gomez (14 percent), former Senate president Franklin Drilon (13 percent), television host Willie Revillame (13 percent), former senator Bam Aquino (13 percent), Davao Rep. Paolo Duterte (13 percent), lawyer Chel Diokno (12 percent) and former senator and interior secretary Mar Roxas (11 percent).

According to OCTA, the non-commissioned “Tugon ng Masa” survey had 1,200 respondents and a margin of error of plus/minus three percent.

The respondents were given a list of potential candidates for the Senate in 2025 and were asked to choose up to 12 names.