MANILA, Philippines – Familiar names – both in politics and in television – topped the of preferred senatorial candidates in latest Pulse Asia survey on the upcoming 2022 national elections. 

Senate returnee and defeated vice presidential candidate Alan Peter Cayetano took the top spot in the latest iteration of the Ulat ng Bayan survey, which was conducted from December 6 to 11. Parts of the survey pertaining to the upcoming national elections were released on Wednesday, December 22. 

Cayetano (64.1%) swapped spots with broadcaster Raffy Tulfo (60%), who led the September 2021 edition of the survey. 

Respondents, from a sample of 2,400 adults, were allowed up to 12 names in the senatorial preference survey. The survey has a 2% error margin and 95% confidence level. 

Re-electionists dominated Pulse Asia’s list of 14 possible winners in the May 2022 Senate race, based on the December 2021 survey. 

Tying for the 2-3 rank with Tulfo was Antique Representative Loren Legarda (58.7%), who has served in the Senate for a total of three terms. 

Legarda was trailed by three other familiar names in politics – Sorsogon Governor and former Senator Francis Escudero (53.9%), former public works chief and representative Mark Villar (51.3%), and Senator Migz Zubiri (49.4%). 

Former vice president and defeated 2016 presidential candidate Jojo Binay (44.7%) was at rank 7-8, while Senator Joel Villanueva placed at rank 7-9. Senator Win Gatchalian was not far off at rank 8-9, with 40.1% of respondents including him in their slates. 

President Rodrigo Duterte – who has since withdrawn his senatorial bid – ranked at 10-14, with 35.8% of respondents saying they would include him in their Senate list. 

Joining Duterte at the 10-14 rank were action star Robin Padilla, who is best known for being among Duterte’s most loyal supporters. 

Opposition stalwart Senator Risa Hontiveros was also at 10-14, with 35.5% of respondents saying they would include her in their Senate list. 

The sons of ousted president Erap Estrada – estranged siblings Jinggoy Estrada (34.4%) and JV Estrada Ejercito (32.1%) rounded out the list of 14 possible winners in the 2022 Senate race. 

Trailing the 14 leaders in the senatorial preference list were former senator Gringo Honasan, former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, Senator Dick Gordon, former Quezon City mayor Herbert Bautista, and former Duterte mouthpiece Harry Roque. 

Senator Leila de Lima, who has been in detention since 2017, over what she’s described as trumped up charges against her, was at rank 20-25. De Lima was among the most vocal critics of the Duterte administration before she was jailed. 

Most of the top names in Pulse Asia’s survey also happen to be “shared candidates,” or senatorial bets who are in the slates of at least two presidential candidates in 2022. – Rappler.com