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Helen Flores - The Philippine Star
May 8, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Eight senatorial candidates of administration-backed Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas have a “very high” chance of “winning big” in the May 12 midterm elections, an OCTA Research official said.
“Alyansa will not just win – they will win big. That’s the first image,” OCTA Research president Ranjit Rye told The STAR’s online show “Truth on the Line” on Tuesday.
Based on latest data, Rye said two “opposition” and two “independent” bets are also likely to win.
“Our problem is, we know the one independent most likely is (broadcaster) Ben Tulfo. But the other toss-up, we don’t know if it’s (television host) Willie Revillame or (former senator) Bam Aquino. That spot is contested by those two names,” Rye said.
Determining which bets will occupy the 10th to 12th spot for a Senate seat remains difficult, he noted.
Sen. Bong Go and ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo are leading the senatorial race, according to OCTA Research’s April 20 to 24 final pre-election survey released yesterday.
Go received the support of 56.8 percent of respondents, while Tulfo obtained 52.7 percent.
Former Senate president Vicente Sotto III (42.3 percent), Sen. Ronald dela Rosa (40.8 percent), Ben Tulfo (40.2 percent), Sen. Pia Cayetano (39.1 percent), Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr. (38.1 percent), Makati Mayor Abby Binay (37.6 percent), Sen. Lito Lapid (35.6 percent), former senator Panfilo Lacson (34.3 percent) and Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar (31.9 percent) followed.
Aquino (31.4 percent) and Revillame (30.4 percent) ranked ninth to 18th and ninth to 20th, respectively.
Former senator Manny Pacquiao (29.1 percent), Sen. Imee Marcos (28.9 percent) and former interior secretary Benhur Abalos (28.5 percent) shared the 10th to 20th spots.
Alyansa bets are Erwin Tulfo, Sotto, Cayetano, Revilla, Binay, Lapid, Lacson, Villar, Pacquiao and Abalos.
Sagip party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta (27.8 percent) ranked 11th to 20th, followed by former senator Francis Pangilinan (26.3 percent), who took the 11th to 21st spot.
Rye said Alyansa candidates experienced “a slight decline” in their voting preferences.
“But it’s nominal, meaning within the margin of error,” he noted.
Marcoleta is the “biggest gainer” in the latest OCTA Research Tugon ng Masa survey, Rye said. ?Candidates “within striking distance” are Revillame, Pacquiao, Marcos, Abalos, Marcoleta and Pangilinan, he said.
Don’t sell dignity
With four days left before election day, Malacañang has urged Filipinos not to “sell their dignity” and not to be part of the so-called keyboard warriors out to destroy the government.
“Do not sell the country to other countries that may have an interest in our territory, in our sovereignty. Do not sell the country by becoming a keyboard warrior whose only job or goal is to create fake news to destroy and make negative impression about our President and the government,” Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said yesterday.Castro has assured security, legal and medical assistance to teachers who will serve as poll workers on May 12.Meanwhile, almost 1.16 million Filipinos are expected to travel by sea to their home provinces from May 9 to 13 to cast their votes in the May 12 midterm elections, according to the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA).
The figure is five percent higher than the 1.1 million passengers recorded during the 2022 general elections.
About 1.75 million travelers were recorded during the 2019 midterm polls.
Five ports are expected to register the highest number of passengers during this year’s polls: the Panay/Guimaras port, 182,359; Batangas port, 110,125; Bicol port, 94,543; Mindoro port, 89,482 and Bohol port, 77,619.
The Port of Matnog in Sorsogon is expected to tally the highest spike in passenger traffic among domestic ports, PPA general manager Jay Santiago said.
Matnog port manager Magnolia Requejo has written a letter to the Maritime Industry Authority to request additional ships in the town amid the expected passenger influx. — Janvic Mateo, Evelyn Macairan, Elijah Felice Rosales
