Incumbent Senator Raffy Tulfo and former Senator Grace Poe emerged as the leading contenders for the 2028 Senate race, according to the latest noncommissioned survey conducted by research firm Tangere.
The opinion poll, executed from September 10 to 14, placed Tulfo at the top with a 39.9 percent voter preference, while Poe secured second place with 36.7 percent.
Close behind in the upper tier of prospective candidates were Senator Robin Padilla with 34 percent, Davao City 1st District Representative Paolo Duterte at 33.7 percent, and Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte with 32.8 percent. Former Senator Manny Pacquiao also joined the top rankings, garnering 32.5 percent.
Other notable personalities featured in the group of prospective senatorial bets include broadcaster Ben Tulfo, Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, Akbayan Party-list Representative Chel Diokno, and Senator Loren Legarda.
The survey results also highlighted voter support for several other public figures, including Makati City Mayor Nancy Binay, Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian, former Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) board member Atty. Jimmy Bondoc, former Makati City Mayor Abby Binay, Cabinet Secretary Benhur Abalos, Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, and Senator Mark Villar.
Tangere clarified that Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso, and former Vice President and current Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo were excluded from the September polling after indicating they would not seek Senate seats in 2028.
Sotto had previously topped Tangere’s August poll with 42.1 percent, while Moreno and Robredo each garnered 30.8 percent.
The survey firm emphasized that these figures reflect early voter preferences in a pre-election landscape and do not represent final election results.