Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto is emerging as a formidable contender in the 2028 Senate race, topping a newly released national survey and showing signs of potentially breaking historical voting records.
According to a July 18–20 poll by market research firm Tangere, Sotto garnered a dominant 61% voter preference among 42 prospective candidates. He ranked within the top two in all 17 regions nationwide, an exceptional feat for any candidate this early in the race.
Tangere noted that such numbers point to the possibility of Sotto breaching the 30 million-vote mark in the 2028 elections—a milestone never achieved by any senatorial candidate in Philippine history. The current record remains below 20 million votes.
Senator Raffy Tulfo followed in second place with 55.26%, maintaining strong influence in Metro Manila and neighboring provinces like Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal. Former Senator Grace Poe took third with 46.05%, buoyed by support from voters in Mimaropa and Central Luzon.
Statistically tied in the fourth to sixth slots were Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Senator Loren Legarda, and Davao City Representative Paolo Duterte. Escudero showed particular strength in Southern Luzon, Bicol, and parts of Mindanao.
Also landing in the Top 15 were Senator Alan Peter Cayetano (34.80%), broadcaster Ben “Bitag” Tulfo (32.22%), Senator Robin Padilla (30.08%), and former DILG chief Benhur Abalos (29.00%). They were joined by Education Secretary Sonny Angara (27.65%), former senator Bong Revilla (26.74%), DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian (25.87%), Senator Jinggoy Estrada (25.00%), and former Makati mayor Abby Binay (24.60%).
Notably, incumbent senators JV Ejercito and Mark Villar failed to crack the Top 15, placing 18th and 25th respectively.
The non-commissioned survey was conducted via Tangere’s mobile app, with 2,400 respondents across the country. Using Stratified Random Sampling with regional quotas, the poll had a margin of error of +/-1.96% at a 95% confidence level.
Tangere, a Comelec-registered and internationally affiliated firm, emphasized that the study was independently conducted and not commissioned by any political party or candidate.
