Loren, Tulfo, Cayetano lead OCTA senatorial survey

MANILA, Philippines — Former senator Loren Legarda, broadcast journalist Raffy Tulfo and former senator Alan Peter Cayetano led the latest pre-election Pulso ng Masa senatorial survey conducted by OCTA Research.

Conducted from Feb. 12 to 17 with 1,200 respondents from all social classes nationwide, results of the poll released yesterday showed Legarda with a 66 percent voter preference score.

Tulfo trails her with 63 percent, followed by Cayetano with 61 percent, Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri with 60 percent, former senator Chiz Escudero with 59 percent and former public works secretary Mark Villar with 56 percent.

Action star Robin Padilla ranked seventh with 43 percent followed by Sen. Win Gatchalian with 39 percent and former vice president Jojo Binay with 39 percent.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros with 38 percent, former senator Jinggoy Estrada with 37 percent and former senator JV Ejercito with 35 percent completed the top 12.

The survey results showed Sen. Joel Villanueva at 13th place with 33 percent followed by former Quezon City mayor Herbert Bautista with 31 percent, former senator Gringgo Honasan with 29 percent, Sen. Richard Gordon with 25 percent, former senator Antonio Trillanes IV with 21 percent and former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Guillermo Eleazar with 20 percent.

At 19th to 24th places are former defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro with 16 percent, former presidential spokesman Harry Roque with 15 percent, Sen. Leila de Lima with 14 percent, Monsour del Rosario with 11 percent, former party-list lawmaker Neri Colmenares with 10 percent.

With single digit voter preference scores are Chel Diokno and Deputy Speaker Dante Marcoleta both with nine percent, lawyers Larry Gadon and Jopet Sison with eight and seven percent, respectively; Astra Pimentel, Manny Piñol, Silvestre Bello Jr. and Alex Lacson all with six percent.

Broadcaster Rey Langit and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo both got four percent while Carl Balita and Samira Gutoc had overall voter preference scores of two percent.

OCTA Research said 91 percent of survey respondents said they will surely vote in the May 9, 2022 elections while seven percent will probably vote and two percent are unsure.

And even if cases of COVID-19 are high, 86 percent said they will still vote, nine percent wouldn’t and six percent are unsure.

Legarda had earlier said that regardless of the ranking in surveys, she is grateful that people recognized the work she has done both as a senator and representative of Antique.

“Our ranking in the surveys is just a number, but still, I’m grateful. Heartfelt gratitude. Serving the people is already OK for me. The Senate is a platform for me to do the good I want to do for the world,” she said.