Drilon leads race for Senate Magic 12

Of the probable winners in the senatorial race, five belong to the Liberal Party, four are independent candidates, two are members of the Nationalist People’s Coalition and one each from the United Nationalist Alliance and Akbayan party-list group, according to results of the latest Pulse Asia survey.

Leading the race is Senate President Franklin Drilon (47.8 percent), followed by Sen. Vicente “Tito” Sotto III (43.5 percent) and former Senators Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan (41.9 percent), Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri (38.9 percent) and Panfilo Lacson (38.5 percent).

Completing the Top 13 are boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao (37 percent), former Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros (36.7 percent), former Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Director General Joel Villanueva (35.5 percent), Sen. Sergio Osmeña III (35 percent), former Sen. Richard “Dick” Gordon (34.1 percent), former Justice Secretary Leila de Lima (33.8 percent), Sen. Ralph Recto (32.6 percent) and Valenzuela City Rep. Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian (29.9 percent).

Just outside the winning circle are Sen. Teofisto “TG” Guingona III (25.6 percent), former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chair Francis Tolentino (24.6 percent), Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno (24.5 percent) and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez (22.8 percent).

Pulse Asia found that 33 percent of 4,000 respondents, who are registered voters, had already completed their senatorial slate of 12 candidates.

The poll, commissioned by ABS-CBN TV network, was conducted on April 26-29. It had a margin of error of plus-or-minus 1.5 percentage points.

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