SCREENGRAB FROM TULFO’S INSTAGRAM
MANILA, Philippines — Broadcast journalist Raffy Tulfo is the Filipinos’ top preferred senatorial candidate for the 2022 polls, while five incumbent senators made it into the “Magic 12,” a recent survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed.
The survey, which was commissioned by Stratbase ADR Institute, Inc., found that 57% of the adult Filipino respondents picked Tulfo as their top senatorial candidate.
He was followed by Sorsogon governor Chiz Escudero (41%), House Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda (41%), and former Public Works and Highways chief Mark Villar (41%), who were all tied in second to fourth place.
Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano placed fifth with 38%, followed by Senate Majority Leader Miguel Zubiri at sixth place with 34%, and former senator Jinggoy Estrada at seventh place with 29%.
Senator Kiko Pangilinan, who is vying for the vice presidency in the 2022 polls, ranked eighth with 28%, while comedian Willie Revillame and Senator Risa Hontiveros tied at the ninth and 10th place with both 25%.
Completing the so-called “Magic 12” are reelectionists Senator Sherwin Gatchalian and Richard Gordon who tied in the 11th and 12th place, garnering 21% of votes.
Graphics by Ed Lustan
The SWS survey, which was conducted on Sept. 12 to 16, asked 1,200 adult Filipinos to pick from the list their 12 preferred senators, should the 2022 elections took place that day.
From the 1,200 respondents, 300 were from Metro Manila, 300 from Balance Luzon, 300 from the Visayas, and 300 from Mindanao.