PULSO NG PILIPINO --- A three-way tie for top honors in the 2025 mid-term Senatorial elections has emerged in the latest pre-poll survey of the Pulso ng Pilipino (PnP) conducted by The Issues and Advocacy Center (The CENTER) which shows a dominant pattern with nine pro-administration candidates in the winners circle at the time the survey was conducted with two from the opposition and one independent forming the Magic 12.
          The non-commissioned PnP survey was conducted from Feb. 17 to 22, 2025 a week after the official campaign period for national candidates commenced on Feb. 10, 2025. The survey polled some 1,200 respondents nationwide composed of registered voters with ages ranging from 18 to 65 years old. 
          The PnP survey adopted the standard multi-stage, area probability sampling (MSAP) where the village (barangay) population center served as the first layer staging area, proceeding in either direction along the major streets at the discretion of the Researcher. 
          During the face-to-face interviews, a skip interval method was employed with five to seven houses in between calls in thickly populated villages to obviate any bias in the responses. Selective interviews were conducted considering the demographic requirements such as gender, age and socio-eco classification as the main considerations. In such situations, proper physical distancing was still observed including disinfection of materials used.
          Calls were checked back at random by the Team Leader to ensure accuracy of data entered on the call cover and interview pages. A unique feature of the PnP survey is its use of actual intelligence information on the ground that are collected from the so-called Listening Posts (LPs). This layered system of intelligence gathering developed during the previous Ramos presidential campaign is what ensures the accuracy of the Pulso ng Pilipino survey.
           The PnP survey during the period covered shows the race for the top position is too close to call as three equally prominent candidates are in a statistical tie for top place as the difference between the three candidates angling for top honors are well within the range of the so-called margin of error (MOE). 
          The survey shows former Senate President Vicente ‘Tito’ SOTTO in the lead with 56.5%. Sotto is tied with reelectionist Sen. GO BONG GO with 55.3% and Party List Rep. Erwin TULFO with 54%.
          For the record, Sotto is about to carve his name in political history as he guns for a record-breaking five-term run for the Senate if he succeeds in getting elected on May 12, 2025. Sotto was first elected as a Senator in 1992 and was reelected in 1998. He went on sabbatical in 2004 after serving two terms. He ran again and won in 2010 and got reelected in 2016. He ended his second two-term service as Senate President and he also holds the distinction of piling up some 259 principally authored and sponsored laws which is regarded as unequalled in Senate history from the time of Quezon to the current Senate President Francis Escudero. As an aside, Sotto was never absent nor late when the Senate was in session even during the pandemic.
           As usual, the unassuming brand of public service extended by Sen. Bong Go remained etched in the minds of voters particularly with regards the Malasakit Program which is being coordinated by Senator Go’s senate office which has assisted thousands of indigent Filipinos with their medical and hospital needs. Sharing top honors in a tight race was also due to Senator Go’s sponsorship of various sports programs at the barangay level.
          Erstwhile leader Erwin Tulfo as usual rode high on his media platform that is linked to the Act-CIS Party List that he represents. His Senate campaign, however, has been impacted by the issues related to his American citizenship for which there is a pending case for disqualification that was filed against him before the Commission on Elections. 
          Sharing the 4th to 6th positions are Sen. Lito LAPID with 48.1% with his reelection bid boosted by his regular appearance as “Ang Supremo” in the hugely popular TV series Ang Probinsiyano and Batang Quiapo. Also in this bracket are former Sen. Panfilo ‘Ping’ LACSON with 46% and also Sen. BONG REVILLA who is running for reelection with 45.7%. Revilla attracted a lot of attention when a judicial court ruled in his favor when he filed a change of name from Ramon Bautista Jr. to Ramon Bong Revilla.
          In 7th to 8th spots are Sen. Pia CAYETANO with 41% and TV personality Ben ‘Bitag’ TULFO with 39.8%.
          Perched in 9th to 10th positions are Makati Mayor Abigail ‘Abby’ BINAY with 35.5% and boxing icon former Sen. Emmanuel ‘Manny’ PACQUIAO with 35%.
          Rounding up the Magic 12 are Sen. Francis ‘TOL’ TOLENTINO in 11th place with 33.4%. It will be recalled that it was TOL TOLENTINO who created and organized the now popular ROTC Games which brings together all college students who are enrolled in the ROTC curriculum in an inter-ROTC games that features not only sports competition but also character building. And in 12th spot is Sen. Ronald ‘BATO’ DELA ROSA with 32%. 
          The other candidates who are within striking distance at 13th to 15th positions and who has a mathematical chance to barge into the winners’ circle include: TV  host Willie ‘KUYA WILL’ REVILLAME (30%), Las Pinas Rep. Camille VILLAR (29%), and Sen. Imee MARCOS (25%). 
          Hugging the 16th to 19th places are: Former Interior Sec. Benhur ABALOS (21%), former Sen. Kiko PANGILINAN (19%), former Sen. Gregorio HONASAN (17%) and former Sen. Bam AQUINO (16%).
           In 20th to 22nd positions are: Party List Rep. Bonifacio ‘COLONEL’ BOSITA (14.5%), Action star Philip ‘IPE’ SALVADOR (14%), and Party List Rep. Rodante MARCOLETA (14%). 
           Bringing up the rear on the 23rd to 25th spots are: Artist Jimmy BONDOC (11%), Brig. Gen. Ariel ‘MARINES’ QUERUBIN (10.3%) and activist lawyer Vic RODRIGUEZ (9%).
           Based on the pre-poll PnP survey conducted on Feb. 17 to 22, 2025, there are nine pro-administration candidates who made it to the Magic 12. They are: Tito SOTTO (NPC), Erwin TULFO (Lakas-CMD), Lito LAPID (NPC), Ping LACSON (IND), BONG REVILLA (Lakas), Pia CAYETANO (NP), Abby BINAY (NPC), Manny PACQUIAO (PFP) and Tol TOLENTINO (PFP).
           The three other senatorial candidates in the 2025 mid-term polls who comprise the Top 12 and who belong to other parties are: BONG GO (PDP-Laban), Ben TULFO (IND), and Bato DELA ROSA (PDP-Laban). # # #