Senator Alan Peter Cayetano has climbed to the top of a new nationwide survey on potential candidates for the 2028 senatorial elections, registering the highest voter preference among the personalities included in the poll. The October 2026 WR National Poll by WR Numero Research placed Cayetano at 39%, up from 34% in June—a five-percentage-point increase that moved him ahead of the previous survey leader, Senator Robin Padilla.
Cayetano’s rise comes as several other prominent political figures recorded declines or smaller movements in voter preference. Padilla slipped from 39% in June to 37% in October, leaving Cayetano with a two-percentage-point numerical lead. Senator Raffy Tulfo and Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto followed at 32% each, while former Senator Grace Poe registered 30%.
The latest figures mark a notable shift in the survey’s leading positions. While Padilla topped WR Numero’s June results, Cayetano’s increase placed him first in the October rankings. The narrow gap between the two, however, means the results should be read as an early measure of voter sentiment rather than a decisive advantage ahead of the 2028 elections.
Other political personalities experienced more substantial changes. Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero posted a 10-percentage-point increase, climbing from 17% to 27%, while Senator Loren Legarda fell from 32% to 21%. Former Senator Nancy Binay also declined, from 22% to 15%.
The survey also found that fewer respondents remain undecided about their senatorial preferences. The proportion dropped from 19.4% in June to 14% in October, a 5.4-percentage-point reduction. Although this suggests more respondents were able to identify preferred candidates, support remains spread across several political figures.
Conducted from October 7 to 13, 2026, the nationwide survey involved 1,225 Filipino adults interviewed face-to-face. The findings form part of Issue 11 of WR Numero Research’s Philippine Public Opinion Monitor, which tracks political attitudes and electoral preferences.
For Cayetano, the latest results represent an encouraging development in the early 2028 senatorial landscape: a higher preference rating, an improvement over his previous standing, and the top numerical position in WR Numero’s October poll. With the elections still more than a year away, the challenge for every potential contender will be whether current voter preferences hold as the political landscape evolves.
Images from WR Numero Research (FB), Senate of the PH (FB)