Tulfo, Legarda remain top picks for Senate in Pulse Asia survey

MANILA, Philippines — Broadcaster Raffy Tulfo and Rep. Loren Legarda (Antique) remain the top picks among candidates for senator, according to the latest Pulse Asia survey.

In a survey released on Wednesday, Tulfo dipped 1.3 percentage points to 65.6%, while Legarda inched down by 0.6 percentage points to 58.3%.

Tulfo, who is running as an independent candidate, is known for letting people air out their concerns and complaints on his shows. His brand of justice has been, however, criticized for sometimes violating due process and for not following the proper forums for grievances. 

Legarda, meanwhile, was a senator for three terms before becoming the representantive of Antique at the House of Representatives. Prior to her years in public office, she was a broadcast journalist. 

According to the recent Pulse Asia survey, other candidates with a "statistical chance of winning" are as follows:

1. Taguig City-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano (56.4%)

2. Sorsogon Gov. Francis Escudero (54.4%)

3. Former Public Works Secretary Mark Villar (52.4%)

4. Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian (50.3%)

5. Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri (50.1%)

6. Sen. Joel Villanueva (43.9%)

7. Actor Robin Padilla (42.5%)

8. Former Vice President Jejomar Binay (42.5%)

9. Former Sen. Jinggoy Estrada (36.5%)

10. Former Sen. JV Estrada Ejercito (35.9%)

11. Sen. Risa Hontiveros (35.6%)

12. Former Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista (34.3%)

The survey was conducted from March 17 to 21. Some 2,400 adults aged 18 and above across the country were interviewed in person. 

The newly-released poll showed that former Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., is still leading the presidential race, even if his margins declined while his archrival Vice President Leni Robredo's increased. 

READ: Marcos dips as Robredo rises in March Pulse Asia survey

Pulse Asia president Ronald Holmes earlier said pre-election surveys are only snapshots of voters' preferences during the time they are interviewed, and that they do not really predict the outcomes of the polls, according to a Manila Bulletin report.