Five incumbent senators, three women, and three former senators would win seats in the Senate if the 2028 national elections were held today, according to the results of a nationwide survey conducted by OCTA Research from September 28 to October 4 and released on Monday.
The third-quarter Tugon ng Masa survey, which interviewed 1,200 adult respondents nationwide and carried a margin of error of ±3 percent, showed that re-electionist senator Raffy Tulfo emerged as the top choice among Filipinos with a 47 percent voting preference.
Following Tulfo in the rankings were incumbent senators Robin Padilla at 45 percent, Alan Peter Cayetano at 44 percent, and Pasig City mayor Vico Sotto at 42 percent.
The survey results also showed former senator Grace Poe securing 36 percent, followed by Senator Loren Legarda with 31 percent, former Makati City mayor Abby Binay at 29 percent, Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) Chief Operating Officer (COO) Mark Lapid with 28 percent, and re-electionist senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero at 27 percent.
Rounding out the potential top 12 were former senators turned Cabinet members Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara and Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao, who tied at 25 percent each, alongside television host Ben Tulfo at 23 percent.
Positioned just outside the top 12 were Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada with 22 percent, as well as former Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and former Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador “Sal” Panelo, who tied at 20 percent each.
OCTA Research noted that the survey captured voter preferences based on a specific hypothetical list during the polling period, emphasizing that the findings “should not be read as a complete candidate lineup, a prediction of who will file a candidacy, or a forecast of the 2028 senatorial election.”