10 Marcos-backed senatorial bets lead SWS survey

National

SENATORIAL candidates backed by the Marcos administration performed strongly in a recent Stratbase-commissioned Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.

The survey showed 10 of the 12 Marcos-backed senatorial hopefuls made it to the top 12 with ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo leading the pack behind an impressive 54% support.

Tulfo is closely followed by former senator Tito Sotto, who has climbed to second place with 34%, and Sen. Pia Cayetano in third with 31%.

Notably, Marcos Jr.’s sister, Imee Marcos, has improved her standing to the fourth-to-fifth range with 25%, moving up from a previous sixth-to-seventh position after declaring herself an independent candidate on September 29.

The survey, which involved face-to-face interviews with 1,500 adults nationwide, has revealed significant movements among the candidates. Former senators Panfilo Lacson and Bong Revilla are now sharing the sixth-to-seventh positions, both at 24%. First-time candidates, such as Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar and Makati City Mayor Abby Binay, have made remarkable progress, with Villar now in eighth place at 21% and Binay in ninth at 20%. Conversely, former senator Manny Pacquiao has seen a decline, dropping to the 11th-13th spot with 18%.

However, this political momentum is juxtaposed with a major shift in the party-list landscape.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has ruled that 42 party-list groups will no longer be eligible to participate in the 2025 polls due to insufficient votes or non-participation in the last two elections.

Of these, 31 groups did not obtain at least 2% of the vote for the party-list system and failed to secure a seat in the House of Representatives. Prominent names on this list include Anakpawis, Butil Farmers Party, and the Alliance of Public Transport Organization, Inc.

Additionally, eleven other groups will have their registration canceled due to non-participation in the last two elections.

Comelec's resolution shows the ongoing evolution of political representation in the country, having accredited 41 new party-list organizations and rejected 142 applications for new groups.(MyTVCebu)