REELECTIONIST Senator Imee Marcos, a prominent political figure and member of the influential Marcos family, failed to make the cut in the projected “magic 12” following the recent survey conducted by the Social Weather Station for the upcoming May polls.
Meanwhile, nine candidates from the administration’s Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas remain strong contenders for Senate seats, during the survey conducted from April 11 to 15 and commissioned by the Stratbase Group.
Marcos, who was dropped from the administration alliance, ranked 13-14 in the latest survey and tied with TV host Willie Revillame, at 24 percent.
ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo leads among the administration-aligned bets with 43 percent voting preference, securing second place overall.
Senator Lito Lapid followed closely in third (34%), with Senator Pia Cayetano and former Senate President Vicente Sotto III tied in fourth to fifth place at 33% each. Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. ranked between 7th and 8th with 31%.
Makati Mayor Abby Binay and Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar improved their standings, rising to 9th (29%) and 10th (28%) respectively. Former Senators Panfilo Lacson and Manny Pacquiao closed out the top 12, landing in 11th and 12th places.
Among non-administration candidates, Senator Bong Go topped the survey with 45%, up three points from the previous month. Senator Ronald dela Rosa also secured a spot in the top six, while broadcaster Ben Tulfo tied in 7th to 8th place with Revilla, despite slipping three points from the March results.
Stratbase President Dindo Manhit attributed the dominance of administration candidates to strategic advantages including incumbency, name recall, and access to government and media platforms. Still, he urged the public to evaluate candidates based on merit and not just popularity.
“Now is the time to critically examine each candidate’s track record, values, and platform,” Manhit said.
The survey polled 1,800 registered voters nationwide and has a ±2.31% margin of error.