Except for opposition Sen. Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino, all the six other re-electionist senators landed on the “Magic 12” in the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.

Senators Cynthia Villar and Grace Poe topped the survey garnering 62 and 60 percent, equivalent to 37 million and 36.4 million votes, respectively.

The survey, conducted from 16 to 19 December 2018, has a margin of error of +- 3 percent for national percentages.

Ranked third to fifth places were Senators Sonny Angara and Nancy Binay, along with former senator and incumbent Taguig Rep. Pia Cayetano, each getting the nod of 40 percent of the survey respondents.

Two actor-turned-politicians, former Senators Lito Lapid and Bong Revilla, landed in sixth and seventh places, respectively. Lapid garnered the vote of 38 percent of the respondents while Revilla got 34 percent.

Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III and former Sen. Jinggoy Estrada were tied at the eighth and ninth places, both with 34 percent voter preference.

Former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas landed at the 10th place with 28 percent voter preference, followed closely by Ilocos Gov. Imee Marcos who came at 11th place with 27 percent voter preference.

Entering the “Magic 12” is re-electionist Sen. JV Ejercito who placed 12th with a voter preference of 27 percent, equivalent to over 15 million votes.

“I am thankful for the result of the latest SWS survey that I am already in the Magic 12.

Given the circumstance of having another brother and not having any political advertisement yet whatsoever, the result is very encouraging,” he added.

Ejercito is a brother of Estrada. He admitted that running in the same election with his sibling is a “handicap” on his part.

Aquino remained out of the top 12 and tied with former Sen. Sergio Osmeña III at the 13th and 14th places. Aquino was also in the 13th place in the 15 t0 23 September 2018 SWS survey while Osmeña was in the 11th to 12th place.

Former Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, who ranked 13th in the September 2018 survey climbed to the 14th to 15th places, tying with former Bureau of Corrections and Philippine National Police head Ronald de la Rosa.

“I am thankful for those who continue to trust in our capability to serve our country. I will take this as an inspiration to demonstrate the real kind of service that our people deserve to receive,” Go said.

Tied at the 17th and 18th places are former Presidential Political Affairs Adviser Francis Tolentino and former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, who both obtained 16 percent voter preference.