SENATORIAL aspirants endorsed by Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. emerged as the most preferred candidates of Filipinos for the 2025 midterm elections, dominating ten out of 12 spots in the Social Weather Station’s (SWS) December survey.

In the SWS poll, conducted in partnership with think tank Stratbase ADR, House Deputy Majority Leader Erwin T. Tulfo kept the top spot with 45% of Filipino respondents saying they would vote for him if the elections were held between Dec. 12-18. This was lower than the 54% he got in a September SWS survey.

Senator Ramon B. Revilla, Jr. ranked second with a 33% voter preference, followed by Senator Pilar Julianna S. Cayetano, who tied with Senator Christopher Lawrence T. Go at ranks 3-4 with 32%, former Senate President Vicente Sotto III (31%), and broadcaster Bienvenido T. Tulfo (30%).

The Top 12 also included former Senators Panfilo M. Lacson (27%) and Emmanuel D. Pacquiao (27%), comedian Willie Revillame (26%), Makati Mayor Mar-len Abigail S. Binay (25%), Senator Manuel M. Lapid (23%), and Las Piñas Rep. Camille A. Villar, Senators Ronald M. dela Rosa and Maria Imelda Josefa R. Marcos, who tied at 12-14 with 21%.

Administration bets who failed to make it to the top 12 were Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin de Castro Abalos, Jr., who got 17% (16-17th spot) and Senate Majority Floor Leader Francis N. Tolentino who got 14% (19-20th spot).

In a statement, SWS said they asked respondents to choose 12 out of 70 names. The pollster interviewed 3,097 registered voters across the country from Dec. 12 to 18 and an error margin of ±2.1%.

On the opposition side, former Senator Francis Pancratius N. Pangilinan, who represents the Liberal Party, placed 15th in the survey as 20% of respondents said they will vote for him next year.

Former Senator Paolo Benigno A. Aquino IV of the Katipunan ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino party shared the 16th and 17th spot with Mr. Abalos with a voter preference of 17%. — John Victor D. Ordoñez