Vice President Sara Duterte held a commanding lead in the first-quarter presidential survey conducted by Oculum Research and Analytics.
Duterte polled 42% in a field of eight candidates, based on the poll of 3,000 respondents conducted from Feb. 21-29, 2024.
The country’s No. 2 elected official was well ahead of Sen. Raffy Tulfo, who obtained 17% support. Former vice president Leni Robredo was chosen by 10% of the respondents and ranked third.
“The leading candidate, Inday Sara Duterte, commands a significant proportion of the vote at 42%, placing her firmly at the top regarding public preference. This percentage indicates a substantial lead over other candidates and suggests a strong support base,” said Joseph Mercado, Oculum chief statistician.
Given the margin of error of ± 2 percentage points, tied for fourth to sixth places were former Manila mayor Isko Moreno, Sen. Imee Marcos, and former senator Manny Pacquiao.
Sen. Robin Padilla was in seventh place with just 2% support, while House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez ranked eighth with 0.4%.
The poll was conducted by Oculum Research and Analytics in partnership with the Asia-Pacific Consortium of Researchers and Educators Inc.(APCoRE), a professional organization of academics and researchers, Areopagus Communications Inc., and PressOne.PH, a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network.
Political science professor Dennis Coronacion said in a news conference that foreign policy issues like the West Philippine Sea dispute did not rank high among voters’ concerns based on Oculum’s study in February.
Oculum research head Racidon Bernarte said 14% of respondents were undecided.
The polling organization said that the large chunk of undecided respondents showed that a “significant portion of the electorate remains uncertain about their choice,” with the 2028 presidential election still four years away.
“This figure is important as it represents potential shifts in voter preference that could impact the election’s outcome. The fluidity in this demographic means that campaigns could influence these undecided voters, potentially altering the current rankings,” Mercado said.
In the Oculum 2024 first-quarter national survey, a total of 3,000 respondents aged 18 years old and above were interviewed face-to-face.
Respondents were distributed as follows: 335 from the National Capital Region, 645 from Northern and Central Luzon, 690 from Southern Luzon, 615 from the Visayas, and 715 from Mindanao, ensuring representation.