Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Marilyn Cahatol

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1776991284172photo-collage.png.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Former VP and Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo followed VP Sara Duterte as the second preferred potential candidate with 21 percent. This closes Duterte and Robredo’s difference from last year’s 30 percentage points to 12 in the first quarter of 2026. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News and Arnold Almacen, Iloilo City Mayor&#x27;s Office</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Despite facing impeachment complaints, Vice President Sara Duterte remains the leading preferred potential presidential candidate for the 2028 national elections in the first quarter of 2026, based on a survey conducted by OCTA Research.</p><p>Thirty-three percent viewed Duterte as the “best leader” who should serve as the next president, a five-point decline from her 38 percent score in the last quarter of 2025.</p><p>OCTA asked 1,200 registered voters of their preferred presidential candidate on March 19 to 25, with a ±3 percent margin of error at a 95 percent confidence level. </p><p>The vice president is currently facing impeachment complaints over her alleged misuse of confidential funds and alleged assassination plot against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House speaker Martin Romualdez.</p><p>The Anti-Money Laundering Council, during the House Committee on Justice hearing Wednesday, confirmed that it had received reports of &quot;suspicious&quot; and &quot;covered&quot; bank transactions amounting to <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/22/amlc-reports-33-suspicious-bank-transactions-under-sara-duterte-husband-1431">P6.77 billion</a> linked to Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, during a period of nearly two decades.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/23/sara-duterte-answers-trillanes-amlc-impeachment-1311">Sara Duterte says &#x27;every cent&#x27; of wealth from legitimate source</a></div><div> </div><div><strong>ROBREDO CLINCHES 2ND SPOT</strong></div><p>Former vice president and Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo followed Duterte as the second preferred potential candidate with 21 percent. </p><p>She rose by 13 points from her eight percent score in the last quarter of 2025.</p><p>This closes Duterte and Robredo’s difference from last year’s 30 percentage points to 12 in the first quarter of 2026.</p><p>&quot;While the narrowing gap is driven largely by Robredo’s substantial increase, Duterte’s decline of 5 points is close to the survey’s ±3% margin of error, and should therefore be interpreted with appropriate caution,&quot; OCTA noted. </p><p>Robredo earlier this week said she<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/21/leni-robredo-says-she-won-t-seek-national-post-in-2028-1207"> would not run</a> for a national post in the 2028 presidential elections and may instead seek a second term as Naga City mayor.</p><p>Meanwhile, Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno came in third with 10 percent, while Sens. Raffy Tulfo and Bam Aquino got nine percent and four percent, respectively. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FhBux69bkjs?si=BwszygdamapLX6v6" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>Thirty-three percent viewed Vice President Sara Duterte as the “best leader” who should serve as the next president, a 5-point decline from her 38 percent score in the last quarter of 2025.</p>

Thirty-three percent viewed Vice President Sara Duterte as the “best leader” who should serve as the next president, a 5-point decline from her 38 percent score in the last quarter of 2025.

OCTA: Sara Duterte still tops 2028 presidential survey in Q1 2026, Robredo follows

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OCTA: Sara Duterte still tops 2028 presidential survey in Q1 2026, Robredo follows

Marilyn Cahatol,

ABS-CBN News

Published April 24, 2026 08:44 AM PHT

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Updated May 02, 2026 08:37 AM PHT

Read More:

OCTA Research

Sara Duterte

Leni Robredo

2028 national elections

president

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