VP Sara maintains lead in 2028 presidential race

WR Numero March 2026 survey reveals most Filipinos remain undecided about VP choice
VP Sara mipasaka og kaso batok sa giingong ‘bagman’
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VICE President Sara Duterte continues to be the preferred candidate for the 2028 elections, while the vice presidential race remains wide open, according to the latest national survey of nonpartisan public opinion firm WR Numero.

The March 2026 Philippine Public Opinion Monitor asked Filipinos their preferred candidates for president and vice president in the 2028 national elections. Around 36% said they will vote for Duterte, marking a modest 3-point increase from November 2025.

Trailing Duterte are Senator Raffy Tulfo (19%) and former Vice President Leni Robredo (16%). Both saw gains in voter intention, with Tulfo rising by 5 percentage points and Robredo by 3. Far behind are Senators Bong Go (4%), Bam Aquino (3%), and Kiko Pangilinan (1%).

Among the presidential contenders polling below 1% are Education Secretary Sonny Angara, Senator Risa Hontiveros, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla, Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon, and Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) General Manager Nicolas Torre. 

Meanwhile, nearly one in five Filipinos (19%) are still undecided on whom to vote for president. 

Likewise, more than a quarter of voters have yet to identify their choice for vice president. Among those who express preference, incumbent Senator Bong Go (12%), former Senator Grace Poe (12%), and Senator Robin Padilla (12%) lead the field. Go’s sole lead in November 2025 diminished after logging a 7-point decline in March 2026, while polling numbers for Poe and Padilla picked up by 4 and 3 percentage points, respectively. 

Neophyte Senator Rodante Marcoleta stands at 8% following his inclusion in the vice presidential survey for the first time. Meanwhile, opposition leader Senator Risa Hontiveros garners 6%, recording a three-point increase from November 2025. In contrast, voting preference for Senator Bam Aquino dipped by 5 points, obtaining only 2% in March 2026. 

Other potential contenders for vice president include Senators Chiz Escudero (5%), Kiko Pangilinan (5%), and Imee Marcos (2%). President Bongbong Marcos and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, meanwhile, each attain 4%. 

Rounding up the list of vice presidentiables are Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, MMDA General

Manager Torre, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, and Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon, all of whom poll less than 1%. 

The March 2026 nationwide survey, conducted from March 10 to 17, was done through face-to-face interviews with a nationally representative sample of 1,455 Filipinos residing in the Philippines, at a ±3% margin of error and 95% confidence level. At the subnational level, the margin of error is ±7% for the National Capital Region, ±4% for the rest of Luzon, ±6% for the Visayas, and ±6% for Mindanao, all at the same 95% confidence level.

These findings form part of the WR Numero Philippine Public Opinion Monitor, Volume 2026, Issue 9, March 2026. The survey includes the latest voter preferences for the 2028 elections, as well as the current public opinion on the Anti-Dynasty Bill, Impeachment proceedings of VP Duterte and the detention and trial of former President Rodrigo Duterte at The Hague. PR

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