A possible tandem of former Vice President and now Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo and Senator Raffy Tulfo slightly led a hypothetical 2028 presidential and vice presidential race, according to a March survey by OCTA Research released Wednesday.
The first-quarter Tugon ng Masa (TNM) survey, conducted from March 19 to 25, showed the Robredo-Tulfo pair getting 44 percent support among respondents if the 2028 elections were held today.
The tandem of Vice President Sara Duterte and Senator Imee Marcos followed closely with 40 percent, while 16 percent of respondents remained undecided.
The survey covered 1,200 adult respondents nationwide and had a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.
OCTA said the results point to a highly competitive early tandem preference landscape, with only four percentage points separating the two possible teams at the national level.
The polling firm also noted that the undecided vote remains significant, suggesting that a sizable portion of the electorate has yet to commit to either tandem.
By area, the Robredo-Tulfo tandem led in the National Capital Region (NCR) with 61 percent and in the rest of Luzon with 57 percent. It also received 48 percent support in the Visayas but only five percent in Mindanao.
The Duterte-Marcos tandem, meanwhile, dominated Mindanao with 86 percent support. It also posted 40 percent in the Visayas and 23 percent each in NCR and the rest of Luzon.
Across socioeconomic classes, Duterte and Marcos received 51 percent support from Class E, 39 percent from Class D, and 37 percent from Class ABC.
Robredo and Tulfo drew their strongest support from Class D at 47 percent, followed by Class E at 36 percent and Class ABC at 35 percent.
OCTA cautioned that the survey should be viewed only as an early snapshot of public sentiment and not as a forecast of the 2028 elections.
“As political conditions evolve—through candidate positioning, alliances, national issues, and campaign dynamics—these preferences may shift significantly,” OCTA said.