RACE TIGHTENS: VP Sara Duterte leads, but rivals gain faster in presidential survey

By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan

QUEZON CITY—Vice President Sara Duterte continued to lead the field among presidentiables in the 2028 elections, according to the latest edition of the Philippine Public Opinion Monitor, released by Pasig City-based public opinion firm WR Numero on Tuesday, April 7.

The nationwide survey conducted from March 10 to 17, 2026, found that 36 percent of Filipinos prefer Duterte as their presidential candidate, reflecting a three-percentage-point increase from November 2025.

Trailing Duterte are Senator Raffy Tulfo with 19 percent and former vice president and Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo with 16 percent, both of whom also posted gains in voter preference during the same period.

Other potential presidential contenders lagged far behind, including Sens. Bong Go (4 percent), Bam Aquino (3 percent), and Kiko Pangilinan (1 percent).

Several other names, including Education Secretary Sonny Angara, Sen. Risa Hontiveros, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon, and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) General Manager Nicolas Torre, each registered less than 1 percent support.

Meanwhile, 19 percent of respondents said they remain undecided on their preferred presidential candidate.

The vice presidential race remains more fluid, with more than a quarter of respondents still undecided.

Among those with a preferred candidate, Sens. Go and Robin Padilla and former Sen. Grace Poe are statistically tied at 12 percent each.

Go’s earlier lead declined by seven percentage points compared to November 2025, while Poe and Padilla posted gains of four and three percentage points, respectively.

Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, a new entrant in the vice-presidential survey, registered 8 percent in his first inclusion.

Hontiveros garnered 6 percent, reflecting a three-point increase, while Aquino’s support dropped to 2 percent after a five-point decline.

Other possible vice presidential contenders include Sens. Pangilinan and Francis Escudero, each with 5 percent, while President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno each posted 4 percent.

The rest of the field, including Dizon, Torre, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, each polled below 1 percent.

The survey used face-to-face interviews with 1,455 respondents nationwide.

It has a margin of error of ±3 percent at the national level and a 95 percent confidence level, with higher margins of error for subnational estimates: ±7 percent for the National Capital Region, ±4 percent for the rest of Luzon, and ±6 percent each for the Visayas and Mindanao.

The Philippine Public Opinion Monitor, regularly conducted by WR Numero, tracks voter preferences and key national issues ahead of the 2028 elections.