Senate 2025 tight race — RPMD survey
The RPMD Foundation Inc. (RPMD) recently conducted an independent and non-commissioned nationwide survey, “Boses ng Bayan,” from July 1-10, 2024, identifying 40 potential senatorial candidates for the 2025 elections.
This comprehensive survey offers a detailed look into the preferences of the Filipino electorate, shedding light on the candidates currently gaining the most traction. The findings provide a valuable understanding of the political landscape, highlighting voter priorities and the key players in the upcoming electoral contest.
ACT-CIS Party List Rep. Erwin Tulfo leads the pack and has secured a 63.7% voter preference, underscoring his strong presence in the political arena. Former Senate President Tito Sotto follows closely with 61.4%, while broadcaster Ben Tulfo and Sen. Bong Revilla Jr. are statistically tied, garnering 58.6% and 57.9%, respectively. Sen. Imee Marcos rounds out the top five with 55.1% support. Former Pres. Rody Duterte (52.5%) and Sen. Bong Go (51.7%) are in the sixth and seventh positions, respectively.
The survey also reveals a competitive field of candidates further down the list. DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. and Sen. Francis Tolentino are closely matched, securing the eighth and ninth positions with 48.6% and 47.8% support, respectively. Tingog Party List Rep. Yedda Romualdez ranks tenth, attracting 42.3% of voter preference.
Sen. Ping Lacson is in eleventh place with 38.4%, followed by former Sen. Manny Pacquiao, who ranks twelfth with 36.8%. Sen. Pia Cayetano is in thirteenth place with 35.2%, followed by Sen. Lito Lapid in fourteenth place with 30.6%. Sen. Bato Dela Rosa rounds out the top fifteen with 28.4% support.
Dr. Willie Ong and Makati City Mayor Abby Binay share the sixteenth to seventeenth spot with 26.1% and 25.6%, respectively. Former Sen. Gringo Honasan ranks eighteenth with 23.5%, followed by Defense Sec. Gibo Teodoro at nineteenth with 21.7%. Agri Party List Rep. Wilbert Lee takes the twentieth spot with 18.4%, and former Sen. Kiko Pangilinan ranks twenty-first with 17.3%. Davao City Mayor Baste Duterte (15.3%), former Sen. Dick Gordon (15.8%), Rep. Pulong Duterte (15.3%), and former Senate Pres. Franklin Drilon (15.2%) occupies the twenty-two to twenty-five positions.
Former Sen. Mar Roxas is placed twenty-six with 14.7%, followed by former Rep. Ted Failon, former Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista, and television host Willie Revillame, who rank twenty-seventh to twenty-ninth with 13.5%, 13.1%, and 12.8%, respectively. Former Rep. Mike Defensor and former Sen. Bam Aquino hold the thirtieth to thirty-one positions with 11.3% and 10.5%, respectively. Former PNP Chief Guillermo Eleazar and actor Dingdong Dantes are ranked thirty-two to thirty-three with 10.1% and 9.3%, respectively.
Other candidates considered for the 2025 senatorial race, along with their scores, include Percy Acosta (7.6%), Neri Colmenares (5.2%), Sal Panelo (4.8%), Carl Balita (2.7%), Greco Belgica (2.5%), Ariel Querubin (1.8%) and Rey Langit (1.0%).
Dr. Paul Martinez, a Global Affairs Analyst and Executive Director of RPMD, emphasized that the “Boses ng Bayan” survey offers an electrifying glimpse into the leading senatorial contenders while reflecting the rich diversity of political opinions across the Philippines. As the 2025 elections loom, these insights provide a crucial lens through which voter preferences and the evolving political landscape can be understood.
According to Dr. Martinez, the survey engaged a sample of 10,000 adult respondents from an electorate of 65 million voters, ensuring a highly accurate analysis with a margin of error of just 1% and a confidence level of 95%. The extensive coverage and rigorous survey design were intended to capture the prevailing sentiments of the Filipino people, offering an indispensable barometer of the national mood as the country gears up for the 2025 election.
