MANILA, Philippines – More than half of registered voters (52%) said they do not regret the breakup of the UniTeam alliance between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte, more pronounced in South Luzon (54%), the National Capital Region (NCR) (52%), and North-Central Luzon (47%), as well as among Generation X (59%) and Baby Boomers (53%).
Despite the lack of regret over the alliance’s breakup, 68% of voters believe that the continuing political conflict between the country’s two highest-ranking elected officials has somewhat or greatly weakened the country; strongest among voters in Mindanao (76%), followed by Millennials (69%) and Baby Boomers (67%).
Filipinos Look to the Next Generation to Curb Corruption
Amid concerns about political division and governance, voters expressed optimism about the role of younger generations in addressing corruption. Fifty-eight percent (58%) said that their own generation has contributed to significantly reducing corruption in the Philippines, varying across demographic groups, including South Luzon voters (62%), Gen Z (57%), Millennials (58%), and Gen X (59%).
Looking ahead, 52% believe that the next generation of political leaders will be able to significantly reduce corruption in the country, more pronounced among Gen X (57%) and voters in NCR and Mindanao (55%).
Similarly, 58% believe that the next generation of Filipino citizens will contribute significantly to reducing corruption; expectations for meaningful change extend beyond political leadership to the broader citizenry.
Senate Predisposition for 2028 Elections
Six (6) neophytes, four (4) re-electionists, and two (2) returning candidates comprise the prospective Magic 12 if the May 2028 senatorial elections were held during the survey period. The survey contains list of a total of 65 names.
Leading the list is Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, with 39% predisposition and 33% trust. He is followed by Akbayan Party-list Representative Chel Diokno (28% predisposition, 23% trust); former Senator Grace Poe (23%, 15%); Davao City Mayor Baste Duterte (23%, 17%); and Senator Alan Peter Cayetano (23%, 15%).
Completing the prospective Magic 12 are Senator Raffy Tulfo (22%, 12%); Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Representative Leila de Lima (21%, 15%); Senator Robin Padilla (20%, 15%); Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro (20%, 12%); Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero (19%, 10%); former COA Commissioner Heidi Mendoza (18%, 13%); and health advocate Doc Willie Ong (18%, 10%).
Among the leading names, Grace Poe stands out for maintaining a position within the top three to five despite comparatively limited recent media visibility. Her standing, alongside that of Baste Duterte and Alan Peter Cayetano, highlights the continued presence of familiar political figures among the leading senatorial prospects.
Geographically, Poe’s predisposition, with Escudero and Ong, shows no pronounced regional concentration, suggesting their support is not strongly concentrated in any particular region. However, the absence of a pronounced regional skew does not, by itself, establish the factors driving their support.
Overall, the findings provide a snapshot of senatorial predispositions ahead of the May 2028 elections, reflecting the mix of emerging and established political figures in the prospective Magic 12.
PQ3-2026 is an independent, non-commissioned nationwide purposive sampling survey conducted from October 1-4, 2026, comprising 1,581 respondents who are registered Filipino voters, randomly selected from the market research panel of PureSpectrum, a US-based panel marketplace with global operations and a regional office in Singapore. The national margin of error is +/- 3%.
PAHAYAG is a CSR of PUBLiCUS Asia Inc., which has tracked key metrics since 2017, while Vox Opinion Research has been its commissioned research arm since 2013.
