With less than a week to go before the midterm elections, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go has pulled away from the pack, emerging as the clear front-runner in the latest Pulse Asia “Pulso ng Bayan” pre-election survey released Monday.

The 20-24 April survey showed Go with a commanding 62.2-percent voter preference — a major leap from the 50.4 percent he registered in January.

His current numbers also eclipse his 45-percent standing in the latest Social Weather Stations survey, underscoring the momentum of his reelection bid under the PDP Laban banner.

The latest survey showed Go widening the gap between himself and his closest rivals, solidifying his status as the candidate to beat.

Go expressed gratitude to his supporters and vowed continued progress. “Let’s bring government services closer to our poor countrymen, let’s bring medical services closer to poor patients,” he said.

“I will focus on health programs, cheap services and goods, sufficient food, and decent jobs and livelihoods, especially for ordinary Filipinos,” he added.

“Let’s also support our comrades in the Duterte-TEN senatorial team. The victory of Duterte-TEN is the victory of the Filipino people,” he said.

Trailing behind Go were ACT-CIS Rep. Erwin Tulfo with 42.4 percent, former Senate president Vicente “Tito” Sotto III with 41.1 percent, and Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa with 41.0 percent.

Among the 64 Senate aspirants, 14 candidates have a statistical chance of winning, based on the latest figures.

They include Senator Bong Revilla Jr. (35.6 percent), former senator Ping Lacson (33.8 percent), broadcaster Ben Tulfo (33.5 percent), Senator Lito Lapid (32.2 percent), Makati Mayor Abby Binay (30.2 percent), Senator Pia Cayetano (29.9 percent), TV host Willie Revillame (28.6 percent), Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar (28.3 percent), former senator Manny Pacquiao (28.3 percent), and former senator Bam Aquino (25.4 percent).

Hoping to make it to the Magic 12 are Senator Imee Marcos (24.7 percent), Phillip Salvador (23.7 percent), Rep. Rodante Marcoleta (23 percent), Benhur Abalos (22.9 percent), and Francis Pangilinan (19.8 percent).

The survey also pointed to a more discerning electorate this year.

On average, respondents named only eight Senate candidates, and just 27 percent completed a full 12-person slate.

The latest Pulse Asia survey, conducted among 2,400 registered voters nationwide, carried a ±2 percent margin of error.

And while surveys may be strong indicators, recent history reminded observers not to treat them as guarantees.

Unexpected twists in 2022 polls

The 9 May 2022 senatorial elections brought a few surprises compared to the pre-election Pulse Asia survey. While the survey accurately projected most of the Magic 12, the final rankings saw some unexpected shifts.

Despite being ranked third in the pre-election Pulse Asia survey with 42.9 percent, Robin Padilla shocked many by topping the 9 May 2022 senatorial election with 26.6 million votes. His unexpected victory highlighted how survey rankings can sometimes diverge from the actual election outcome.

Raffy Tulfo, the top pre-election survey choice with 50.4 percent, placed third with 23.4 million votes, behind Loren Legarda who came in second with 49.4 percent in the same survey.

Chiz Escudero, Alan Peter Cayetano, Sherwin Gatchalian and Migz Zubiri performed as expected, staying close to their pre-election survey rankings with only minor shifts in positioning.

Mark Villar, who was ranked 8th to 10th in the Pulse Asia survey, made a notable leap, securing 6th place in the actual results.

One of the biggest surprises was Jejomar Binay’s underperformance. Although he ranked 10th in the survey, he failed to make it to the Magic 12.

Instead, Joel Villanueva, who was not expected to make the cut based on the survey, surged to 9th place with over 18.4 million votes.

Risa Hontiveros quietly held her ground, finishing 11th in both the survey and final election results, showcasing the strength and consistency of her voter base.

Jinggoy Estrada, who was tied for 11th in the Pulse Asia survey, secured the 12th spot in the final results, narrowly edging out contenders like Jejomar Binay and Herbert Bautista.

The Commission on Elections reported that approximately 68.43 million Filipinos are registered to vote in the upcoming midterm elections.

Voters will be selecting officials for more than 18,000 positions across the country, spanning both national and local posts — including senators, district representatives and local government officials.

The largest concentrations of voters are found in Calabarzon, which leads with 9.7 million registered voters, followed by Central Luzon (7.7 million), Central Visayas (4.4 million), the Bicol Region (just over 4 million) and Western Visayas (3.3 million).

Meanwhile, the provinces with the most voters include Cebu, Cavite, Bulacan, Pangasinan, Laguna, Negros Occidental, Batangas, Pampanga, Rizal and Iloilo.

The 2025 midterm elections are set for 12 May with 12 Senate seats and thousands of other national and local positions up for grabs.