Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte has emerged as the leading preferred candidate for the 2028 senatorial elections in the latest survey by research firm Tangere, recording 42.7% voter preference following a nine-percentage-point increase from September. The October 21–23 poll placed former senator Grace Poe second with 38.3%, followed by Sen. Raffy Tulfo at 36.5% and Sen. Robin Padilla at 36.4%. The results reflect an early shift in voter preferences, with Duterte overtaking several established political figures more than a year before the next national elections.
Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano also recorded a notable improvement, climbing to fifth place with 34.6%, up from 26.6% in September. Broadcaster Ben Tulfo followed with 32.7%, while Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte placed seventh with 30.6%. Meanwhile, actor Dingdong Dantes entered the survey’s Magic 12 for the first time, placing 12th with 20.7% after ranking outside the top 24 in the previous poll. His entry pushed former senator Loren Legarda to 13th with 19.5%, although the narrow difference between their percentages falls within the survey’s reported margin of error.
Tangere conducted the noncommissioned, mobile-based survey among 2,400 respondents nationwide from October 21 to 23, reporting a ±2-percentage-point margin of error at a 95% confidence level. The findings provide an early picture of public preferences rather than a prediction of who will win Senate seats in 2028, particularly as potential candidacies, political alliances, and voter priorities may still change. While Baste Duterte’s rise and Cayetano’s improved standing are among the survey’s most significant developments, the results also suggest that both established politicians and personalities outside traditional politics could play prominent roles in the upcoming electoral contest.
Image from Sebastian “Baste” Duterte FB