Senator Bam Aquino led the latest nationwide survey on public favorability, while separate polling showed a tightening race among potential contenders for the 2028 presidential elections.
The PAHAYAG 2026 First Quarter Survey conducted by PUBLiCUS Asia Inc. showed Aquino with a 59 percent net favorable rating. Of the respondents, 30 percent described their view of the senator as “very favorable.”
The survey polled 1,509 registered voters from March 21 to 24 using purposive sampling, with respondents drawn from the market research panel of PureSpectrum, a U.S.-based platform with global operations and a regional office in Singapore.
Senators Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan and Risa Hontiveros ranked second and third with identical 50 percent ratings. Senators Loren Legarda, Bong Go, Raffy Tulfo, Ping Lacson, Pia Cayetano, Migz Zubiri, and Alan Peter Cayetano completed the top 10.
The survey cited a “dual crisis narrative” involving governance concerns and economic strain.
Executive branch
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s approval rating declined to 19 percent from 22 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025, while trust fell to 13 percent.
Vice President Sara Duterte’s approval rating dropped to 28 percent from 34 percent, although she remained the highest-rated among top incumbents.
Respondents expressed strong support for policy reforms, with 88 percent backing tax relief and institutional transparency and 81 percent supporting a ban on political dynasties up to the second degree.
Economic sentiment remained negative, with 74 percent of respondents saying they were pessimistic about the country’s current condition and 56 percent expecting conditions to worsen in the next quarter.
PUBLiCUS Asia said the results suggest voters are increasingly favoring leaders associated with accountability and transparency amid rising living costs and concerns over corruption.
The survey forms part of the firm’s Corporate Social Responsibility project.
2028 elections
In a separate development, OCTA Research founder Ranjit Rye said Vice President Sara Duterte remained the most preferred candidate for president in 2028, but her lead over former vice president and now Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo narrowed in the first quarter.
During an interview on “Storycon” on One News on April 15, Rye said Duterte’s numbers “went down for the first time in four quarters.”
“It’s not anymore a universe away… The number two person is just between nine to 12 points away. The gap narrowed in just one quarter,” he said.
Rye said Robredo overtook Senator Raffy Tulfo in OCTA’s March survey.
Rye cited several possible factors behind the shift, including the impeachment against Duterte and the consolidation of support for Robredo and her movement. He also noted that Tulfo has said he is not going to run for president.
A separate survey conducted by WR-Numero from March 10 to 17 showed that 35.9 percent of respondents would vote for Duterte if the elections were held during the survey period.
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