MANILA, Philippines — Rep. Erwin Tulfo of the Anti-Crime and Terrorism Community Involvement and Support (ACT-CIS) Partylist once again topped a senatorial survey, this time from pollster Oculum Research and Analytics.
The former secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) garnered 50% support from a total of 1,200 respondents polled between July 17 and 31.
This marked the fourth time Tulfo ranked no. 1 in a senatorial preference survey for the 2025 midterm elections. He topped a Social Weather Stations survey in April, Tangere in June and OCTA Research in July.
Dennis Coronacion, Oculum's chief political analyst and political science professor at the University of Santo Tomas, said overwhelming public support for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), a government welfare program overseen by DSWD, contributed to Tulfo's strong showing in the poll.
"I think that Erwin Tulfo, being a former DSWD secretary, had something to do with his being in the top 1 position," Coronacion said at a press conference in Makati on Friday. "Also, incidentally, in our social issues survey, the number one social issue happens to be the one about the 4Ps."
Former Senate president Tito Sotto placed second in the survey, mustering 48% support. Oculum said his popularity could be attributed to the debacle inside "Eat Bulaga!," which Sotto has been co-hosting since 1979.
Former president Rodrigo Duterte, reelectionists Pia Cayetano and Bato Dela Rosa and former senator Ping Lacson placed third, fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively.
Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, the nephew of the former Senate president, claimed the seventh spot, getting 28%.
Television host Willie Revillame, social media personality Dr. Willie Ong, Sen. Lito Lapid, business tycoon Manny Villar (himself a former Senate president) and former senator Manny Pacquiao completed the Magic 12.
Notably, reelectionists Bong Revilla, Imee Marcos and Bong Go failed to enter the Top 12, placing 13th, 15th and 16th in the survey, respectively. Though Coronacion underscored that they are within "striking distance" from winning.
Other prospective candidates preferred by respondents include former Manila mayor Isko Moreno (14th), former senators Gringo Honasan (17th), Mar Roxas (18th) and Kiko Pangilinan (19th), former vice presidents Jojo Binay (20th) and Leni Robredo (21st), former Quezon City mayor Herbert Bautista (22nd), former senator Dick Gordon (23rd) and former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque (24th).
Sen. Francis Tolentino, who is eligible to run for a second term, did not make it to the Top 24.
Manny Mogato, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who sits as Oculum's oversight board member, said the opposition's poor showing could be traced back to the time of Duterte.
"Social media has been unforgiving to people who opposed President Duterte. So, I think that has been a factor why until now, more than a year after the May 2022 elections, mababa pa rin ang rating ng [opposition]," Mogato said.
Sara gets highest marks
In the same survey, Vice President Sara Duterte obtained the highest satisfaction ratings from respondents, at 79%, as she receives constant media coverage involving her work as education secretary, Oculum said.
Females, which comprised more than half of the respondents, were also inclined to support a female leader, Coronacion explained; thus, the high ratings for the vice president.
Meanwhile, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. registered a 74-percent satisfaction rating, which Oculum said indicated "strong public approval of his leadership and governance," according to the pollster's release.
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and House Speaker Martin Romualdez both got majority support, at 61% and 55%, respectively.
Only Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, an appointed official, notched a rating below 50%.
The Oculum survey obtained responses from 1,200 Filipinos nationwide, randomly selected through a computer-assisted tool, using an eight-page aided questionnaire. It has a ± 3-percent margin of error at the national level.
Other people behind Oculum include chief statistician Joseph Mercado, former vice president for research, extension, planning and development at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines; project manager Romero Lopez, associate editor at PressONE; and oversight board members Msgr. Pedro Quitorio III, director of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines media office; and Felipe F. Salvosa II, editor at Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism. — intern Eduelle Jan Macababbad