Senator Raffy Tulfo and former senator Grace Poe emerged as the top two choices in the latest 2028 senatorial preference survey released by Tangere, after Robin Padilla and Vico Sotto said they have no plans to seek Senate seats in the next election.
The poll, conducted from February 2 to 6, 2026, showed Tulfo leading the field with 49.8 percent voter preference, followed by Poe at 43.5 percent. Tangere said the survey was initiated after Padilla and Sotto publicly clarified that they are not considering a Senate run in 2028, reshaping early voter rankings.
With both names no longer factored into voter choices, the Senate race saw consolidation among familiar national figures. Incumbent senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Loren Legarda are tied in the 3rd to 7th bracket, each registering 38.0 percent voter preference.
Brothers Paolo Duterte and Baste Duterte also ranked within the 3rd to 7th range with 37.1 percent and 36.6 percent, respectively, placing them inside the projected winning circle.
Other candidates posting competitive numbers include former senator Manny Pacquiao at 31.2 percent, incumbent Chiz Escudero at 30.2 percent, and media executive Ben Tulfo at 30.1 percent. Sonny Angara followed closely with 28.4 percent.
Tangere said the results point to a tightening Senate race, with voter preference concentrating among incumbents and returning candidates as early positioning for the 2028 elections continues to take shape.
The survey covered 2,000 respondents nationwide and has a margin of error of ±2.15 percent at a 95 percent confidence level, with responses drawn from all major regions of the country.
