MANILA (UPDATE) - Reelectionist Sen. Cynthia Villar has topped the latest pre-election survey, breaking the weeks-long statistical tie with Sen. Grace Poe, according to a Pulse Asia survey released Saturday.

Villar's voter support rose to 55.9 percent, a 4-point rise from the 51.7-percent support she got in April, Pulse Asia's May 3-6 survey showed.

Poe's voter support declined to 47.7 percent, from 50.5 percent last month.

Other candidates in the top 12 were administration-backed bets Taguig Rep. Pia Cayetano, former special assistant to the president Christopher "Bong" Go, returning former senators Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. and Lito Lapid, former police and corrections chief Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos, and reelectionists Sonny Angara, Nancy Binay, Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III and JV Ejercito.

Former senator Jinggoy Estrada trailed closely behind his half brother, followed by reelectionist Bam Aquino and former presidential political adviser Francis Tolentino.

Others seeking a return to the chamber were out of the winning roster. Former senators Sergio Osmeña III and Mar Roxas were tied at the 16th to 17th spot, while former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile landed on the 18th to 19th rank.

Some 1,800 registered voters took part in the survey that used ballots with names of all 62 senatorial candidates. It had a 95-percent confidence level and an error margin of +/- 2.3 percent.

Pulse Asia said "5.8 percent of Filipinos who are registered to vote in the coming midterm elections refused to fill up the sample ballot used [in] this survey."

Some 3.7 percent, meanwhile, had invalid ballots for overvoting, while 1.9 percent said they "were not inclined to elect any of the 62 senatorial candidates," the pollster said.

PARTY-LIST RACE

Only 9 out of the 134 registered party-list groups have a statistical chance of obtaining seats in the House of Representatives, the survey further showed.

Under the law, a seat in the chamber is given to a party-list group that obtained at least 2 percent of the total votes cast for the party-list system.

The Anti-Crime and Terrorism Community Involvement and Support Inc. (10.6 percent), Ako Bicol Political Party (6.72 percent), and Bayan Muna (6.07 percent) could get 3 congressional seats each, Pulse Asia's May survey showed.

Party-list groups that have a statistical chance of getting seats each are:

- Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption (3.68 percent)
- One Patriotic Coalition of Marginalized Nationals (3.50 percent)
- Coalition of Associations of Senior Citizens in the Philippines (2.77 percent)
- Alyansa ng mga Mamamayang Probinsiyano (2.72 percent)
- An Waray (2.43 percent)
- Magkakasama sa Sakahan Kaunlaran (2.20 percent).

"Overall, only 54 of the 59 seats for party-list representatives
would be allocated if the May 2019 elections coincided with the conduct of this pre-election survey," Pulse Asia said.