FORMER senators Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV and Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan emerged as Thomasians’ top picks for Senate in the 2025 elections, a Varsitarian survey showed.
Aquino, who served one term in the Senate from 2013 to 2019 and is vying for a return under the Katipunan ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino, led the poll of UST students with 83%.
Liberal Party candidate Pangilinan ranked second with 80%.
Rounding out the top three is former Commission on Audit commissioner Heidi Mendoza with 61%. She is a first-time candidate for Senate.
Labor advocates Luke Espiritu and Leody de Guzman, both running under Partido Lakas ng Masa, secured the fourth (57%) and fifth (45%) spots, respectively.
Some aspirants from the Makabayan Coalition also figured as top choices among Thomasian respondents for the Senate.
Former Bayan Muna partylist representative Teddy Casiño ranked sixth with 38%, followed by Rep. Arlene Brosas of Gabriela Women’s Party in No. 7 with 37%. Peasant leader Danilo Ramos also obtained 37% and placed eighth.
Fisherfolk leader Ronnel Arambulo and labor leader and lawyer Sonny Matula tied for ninth with each getting 35%.
ACT Teachers partylist Rep. France Castro landed in the 11th spot with 28%, while former Gabriela Women’s Party representative Liza Maza capped the “Magic 12” with 23%.
The survey, conducted by the Varsitarian from April 28 to May 7 with 1,224 respondents across UST’s academic units, also asked Thomasians to identify the top five issues they wanted the aspiring senators to prioritize.
Corruption emerged as the most pressing concern, followed by unemployment, calls for a minimum wage hike, confidential and intelligence funds, and the issue of political dynasties.
Isko is top choice for mayor
Among the surveyed Thomasians, 39% said they were unfamiliar with the candidates for Manila mayor.
Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso was the top choice with 38%. Moreno is eyeing a return to Manila’s top elective position after serving his first term from 2019 to 2022.
Trailing Domagoso by a wide margin is his former vice mayor, now incumbent Manila Mayor Maria Sheilah “Honey” Lacuna, who got 18%. Tutok to Win Partylist Rep. Sam Verzosa ranked third with 4%.
Corruption also topped the list of issues respondents wanted the next Manila mayor to address. Other key concerns included proper waste collection and management, a minimum wage hike, political dynasties, and the implementation of a standardized fare matrix for tricycles.
The respondents were selected randomly through stratified sampling.
It was administered online and in person via Google Forms. The survey had a ±3% margin of error and a 95% confidence level.
The 2025 elections are scheduled for Monday, May 12, where 68.43 million Filipinos are expected to cast their votes to select new members of the Senate, a partylist representative, district representatives, and local government officials.
