MORE than three months before the national and local elections, incumbent Senator Grace Poe has topped the roster of most preferred senatorial candidates by the Filipino electorate, the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed.
Poe obtained a voter preference of 64 percent, getting an estimated 36.658 million votes, according to the poll conducted by the SWS on January 23 to 26.
She was followed by her fellow lawmaker, Senator Cynthia Villar, who is the choice of 57 percent of voters or equivalent to about 32.771 million.
Third in the list was former senator Manuel “Lito” Lapid, registering 44 percent or 25.313 million votes.
Next to Lapid was Taguig Representative Pia Cayetano, who obtained 43 percent or estimated 24.876 million votes.
Sharing the fifth to sixth places were Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara and former Speical Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence Go, both getting 41 percent and over 23 million votes.
Senator Nancy Binay landed on the seventh place with 39 percent voter preference, equivalent to 22.293 million voters.
Former Local Government Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II and erstwhile senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. shared the eighth to ninth places, both obtaining 38 percent.
Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III placed 10th, with a voter preference of 36 percent or estimated 20.674 million.
Completing the “Magic 12” were Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV and former senator Jinggoy Estrada, with voter preference of 33 percent and 31 percent, respectively.
Meanwhile, former Philippine National Police chief Ronald dela Rosa and Ilocos Governor Maria Imelda Josefa “Imee” Marcos were at 13th and 14th places, respectively.