Support for Dutertes falls as independents, Marcos backers rise

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

Support for the Duterte political faction sharply declined nationwide, with only 29% of Filipinos identifying with the family and its allies, according to a new WR Numero survey released in August 2025.

The latest results from the Philippine Public Opinion Monitor, a noncommissioned national survey conducted shortly after President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address, show an 11-percentage point drop from April 2025 in support for the Dutertes.

At the same time, the number of Filipinos who consider themselves politically independent rose to 36%, a 4-percentage point increase over the same period.

Support for the Marcos family and their allies increased to 19%, up from 15% in April, while backing for opposition figures—including Leni Robredo, Risa Hontiveros, and Bam Aquino—rose to 16%, a 3-point increase.

Mindanao still backs Duterte, but support sharply drops

Mindanao remains the Duterte stronghold, with 59% of respondents in the region still supporting the family, though this marks an 18-point drop from 77% in April.

In the Visayas, support for Duterte dropped from 41% to 28%, while Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon saw declines to 20% and 17%, respectively.

Pro-Marcos sentiment gained the most ground in Luzon, where 27% now identify with the president’s faction, up from 21% in April.

In Mindanao, Marcos support rose from 3% to 10%, while Metro Manila saw a modest increase to 16%, and the Visayas saw a slight decline to 3%.

Opposition support grew in all regions, especially in the Visayas where it surged to 25%, a 9-point increase.

Metro Manila posted a 21% opposition alignment, followed by the rest of Luzon at 17%, and Mindanao at 4%.

Filipinos identifying as independents increased across all major regions, led by Mindanao with a 10-point jump to 27%, followed by the Visayas at 32%, Metro Manila at 43%, and the rest of Luzon at 40%.

Duterte support crashes among upper and middle classes

Among upper and middle-income Class ABC respondents, Duterte support fell dramatically to 17% from 38%.

More Class ABC Filipinos are now identifying with the opposition (23%), a rise of 8 points, while support for Marcos surged to 21%, up by 11 points.

The number of independents in Class ABC increased slightly to 39%.

Among Class D Filipinos—the largest socioeconomic group—independents saw the largest growth, rising by 14 points to 46%.

Opposition support rose to 18%, while Marcos supporters held steady at 15%, and Duterte support dropped sharply to 20% from 36%.

Class E respondents also shifted away from the Dutertes, with support decreasing to 33% from 42%.

In this group, Marcos supporters rose to 20%, opposition to 15%, and independents to 32%.

Younger Filipinos turn away from Dutertes

Younger Filipinos aged 30 and below are turning away from the Dutertes, with support down to 37% from 49%.

Marcos gained modestly among the youth, increasing from 7% to 11%, while opposition support climbed from 14% to 19%, and independents edged up to 33%.

In the 31–59 age group, independents grew by 7 points to 40%, while Marcos support increased to 21%.

Duterte support among this group declined to 26%, while the opposition remained nearly unchanged at 13%.

For Filipinos aged 60 and older, support for Marcos rose to 36% from 33%, opposition grew to 20% from 14%, and Duterte support dropped to 17% from 25%.

Independent identification in this age group remained stable at 28%.

The national survey has a ±2% margin of error at a 95% confidence level, with subnational margins of ±7% for the National Capital Region, ±3% for the rest of Luzon, ±6% for the Visayas, and ±5% for Mindanao.

WR Numero said the full public brief for the Philippine Public Opinion Monitor Volume 2025, Issue 4, is available at tinyurl.com/wrn-ppom.

The report also includes data on public opinion regarding President Marcos’ performance, Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment proceedings, and policy priorities of Filipino citizens.