Former Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and his running mate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte remain the frontrunners in the latest Pulse Asia survey results released on Monday, March 14.

The survey, which was conducted from Feb. 18 to 23, 2022, found Marcos sustaining his lead with 60 percent of respondents nationwide choosing him as the next Philippine president if the elections took place during the survey period.

He also led all geographic areas and socio-economic groupings--53 percent to 68 percent and 58 percent to 61 percent, respectively.

In 2nd place is Vice President Leni Robredo whose presidential bid is backed by 15 percent of respondents.

"The Vice President posts double-digit voter preferences across geographic areas and socio-economic classes (16 percent to 19 percent and 13 percent to 17 percent, respectively), with Mindanao being the exception (5 percent)," Pulse Asia said in a statement.

Its latest survey was participated in by 2,400 respondents 18 years old and above, who are registered voters and likely to vote in the May 2022 elections.

Other candidates running for president in the May 2022 elections each registered voter preferences of at most 10 percent: Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso (10 percent), Senator Manny Pacquiao (8 percent), Senator Panfilo Lacson (2 percent), businessman Faisal Mangondato (0.4 percent), Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) chair Leody de Guzman (0.1 percent), and cardiologist Jose Montemayor Jr. (0.01 percent).

"Former Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella and former Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Norberto Gonzales receive essentially no support from the country’s electorate," Pulse Asia said.

"The rest of likely voters are still undecided about their choice for president in May 2022 (3 percent), refuse to identify their preferred presidential bet (0.4 percent), or are not inclined to vote for any candidate for the post (1 percent)," it pointed out.

Isko top 2nd-choice bet for president

"Should their original choice for president withdraw from the elections, 26 percent of voters with a first choice for president would instead vote for Manila Mayor Domagoso," Pulse Asia said.

Second place in terms of second-choice voter preferences is shared by Pacquiao (13 percent), Robredo (12 percent), Lacson (11 percent), and Marcos (9 percent).

De Guzman and Mangondato each registered a 1 percent alternative voting figure.

The other presidentiables garnered less than 1 percent second-choice voter preferences: Abella (0.4 percent), Montemayor (0.2 percent), and Gonzales (0.2 percent).

Pulse Asia said the rest of likely voters do not have a second-choice presidential bet (23 percent), ambivalent about their alternative candidate for the post (4 percent), or refused to name their second-choice presidential candidate (0.1 percent).

Sara remains frontrunner in VP race

Pulse Asia also found that 53 percent of respondents are inclined to elect Duterte as the successor of Robredo.

Meanwhile, the vice presidential bid of Senate President Vicente Sotto III has the support of almost a fourth of those likely to vote in May 2022 (24 percent).

Around 11 percent would vote for Senator Francis Pangilinan if the May 2022 elections coincided with the conduct of the survey interviews.

"Two vice-presidential candidates register single-digit voter preferences, namely, Dr. Willie Ong (6 percent) and Buhay Party-List Representative Jose Atienza Jr. (1 percent)," Pulse Asia.

"The other candidates obtain less than 1 percent voting support: Mr. Emmanuel Lopez (0.1 percent), former Akbayan Party-List Representative Walden Bello (0.1 percent), and Atty. Carlos Serapio (0.01 percent). Mr. Rizalito David receives essentially no support from the country’s electorate," it added.

However, Pulse Asia said 4 percent of the respondents were undecided, refused, or not inclined to vote for any candidate for the vice presidential post.

Sotto top alternative candidate for VP

"Likely voters with a first choice for vice president are most inclined to choose Senate President Sotto (31 percent) as their alternative candidate for the post," Pulse Asia said.

Three other vice presidential bets enjoyed double-digit second-choice voting figures: Pangilinan (15 percent), Ong (11 percent), and Duterte (11 percent).

The rest of the candidates for vice president had alternative levels of electoral support of at most 5 percent: Atienza (5 percent), Lopez (1 percent), Bello (0.1 percent), Serapio (0.1 percent, and David (0.05 percent).

Meanwhile, 23 percent of respondents did not name their second-choice vice-presidential candidate, 3 percent were ambivalent on the matter of whom to vote for if their original candidate withdraws from the elections, and 0.02 percent refused to name their alternative vice presidential bet.