Vilma Santos, Pacquiao may win in 2016 Senate race - Pulse Asia

MANILA, Philippines - Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos and Saranggani Rep. Manny Pacquiao are among the personalities who have a "statistical chance of winning" in the 2016 senatorial race, Pulse Asia revealed on Monday.

The latest Pulse Asia survey on the Filipinos' senatorial preferences showed that only 15 of the 57 individuals who are part of the senatorial probe have a statistical chance of winning if the elections were done during the survey period.

The survey was done from September 8 to 15 and polled 1,200 respondents.

Pulse Asia said all of the probable winners in the senatorial race are either current or former government officials.

Leading the race are Senator Vicente Sotto III (51.6 percent) and Presidential Assistant for Food Security and Agricultural Modernization Francis Pangilinan (51.5%). Both are sharing a ranking of first to sixth places.

Close behind them are Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas (47.6 percent) who occupies first to ninth places.

Three officials are all ranked first to 10th – Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (47.2 percent), Presidential Adviser for Rehabilitation and Recovery Panfilo Lacson (47.1 percent), and former Senator Richard J. Gordon (45.9 percent).

Three other probable senatorial bets are ranked third to 10th places – Batangas Governor Vilma Santos (44.5 percent), Sen. Ralph Recto (44.1 percent) and Senate President Franklin Drilon (42.6 percent).

Ranked fourth to 10th places is former Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri (41.5 percent).

Completing the list of probable senatorial winners in May 2016 are former Sen. Jamby Madrigal (35.9 percent, 11th to 15th places), Sen. Sergio Osmeña III (35.4 percent, 11th to 15th places), Justice Secretary Leila de Lima (35.3 percent, 11th to 15th places), Saranggani Rep. Manny Pacquiao (31.3 percent, 11th to 16th places) and former Akbayan Party-List Rep. Risa Hontiveros (30.7 percent, 11th to 16th places).

Pulse Asia said only one percent of Filipinos do not support any of the 57 personalities included in the survey.

And while there are still about 19 months before the elections, around seven in 10 Filipinos (71 percent) already have a complete slate for the senatorial race, the polling firm added.