Marcos and Opposition Support Surge in Latest Philippine Political Survey
According to the March 2026 national survey by nonpartisan research firm WR Numero, the share of Filipinos backing the Marcos family and the opposition has risen, while the pro-Duterte bloc continues to lead among political factions despite a gradual decline. The survey, conducted after Vice President Sara Duterte's announcement of her 2028 presidential bid and impeachment proceedings against her, provides a snapshot of shifting political allegiances in the country.
National Trends in Political Partisanship
About one-third of Filipinos identify as supporters of the Duterte family and their allies, marking a 1-percentage point dip from November 2025. In contrast, those aligning with the Marcoses and their allies rose by 7-percentage points, reaching 22% in March 2026 from 15% in November 2025. Similarly, the share of Filipinos siding with opposition figures Leni Robredo, Risa Hontiveros, and Bam Aquino jumped to 17%, up by 5-percentage points from 12% in November 2025. Meanwhile, 25% classify themselves as independents or do not align with any political factions, reflecting a sharp decline of 14-percentage points.
Regional Shifts in Factional Support
The Marcos camp gained ground across all regions, with Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon seeing the most pronounced shifts. Marcos supporters overtook independents in these areas, rising from 16% to 30% in Metro Manila and from 22% to 29% in the Rest of Luzon. This upward trend extended to other regions, including Duterte strongholds, with support climbing by 5.5-percentage points in the Visayas (15%) and by 5.3-percentage points in Mindanao (9%).
Meanwhile, the opposition's growth in national support was driven by gains in Visayas, where support sharply grew from 10% to 22%, and in the Rest of Luzon, where it increased from 15% to 22%. However, the opposition also saw slight declines in Metro Manila (16%) and Mindanao (3%) by 3 and 0.6-percentage points, respectively.
On the flip side, the pro-Duterte bloc further consolidated its support in Metro Manila (23%) and Mindanao (73%), logging gains of 3 and 4-percentage points, respectively. Duterte supporters continue to lead in the Visayas at 34%, although their share dipped slightly by 1-percentage point. Conversely, the Duterte camp lost ground in the Rest of Luzon, falling from 20% in November 2025 to 15% in March 2026.
The rise in support for pro-Marcos and opposition allies is largely linked to the collapse of those who identify as independents. Metro Manila (28%) and Visayas (28%) saw the sharpest drops by 17-percentage points, followed by the Rest of Luzon (29%) with a 14-percentage point decline, and Mindanao (12%) with an 11-percentage point fall.
Internal Alignment of Political Factions
WR Numero also asked supporters of each faction about their alignment with other political camps. Among them, the pro-Duterte bloc emerged as the most unified, with about two-thirds identifying as steadfast Duterte supporters. Only 11% said they also back the opposition, 8% expressed affinity for the Marcoses, and another 8% reported supporting all political factions.
Opposition supporters demonstrated similarly strong, but slightly less consolidated support to their faction. Over half (53%) said they exclusively stick up for opposition figures such as Robredo, Hontiveros, and Aquino. Around 23% said they support all political blocs, 12% also sided with the Dutertes, and only 8% aligned with the Marcoses.
Support for the Marcoses appeared comparatively softer. Only about a third are solidly identified with the Marcos camp. Meanwhile, about 23% of the pro-Marcos bloc also align with the Dutertes, another 23% said they support all political factions, while 13% also embrace the opposition.
On questions regarding the leaning of factional supporters, the sample comprised individuals identifying with specific political camps, broken down as follows: 32.7% from Duterte supporters, 22.2% from Marcos supporters, and 16.8% from opposition supporters.
Survey Methodology and Context
The March 2026 nationwide survey was conducted from March 10 to 17 through face-to-face interviews with a nationally representative sample of 1,455 Filipinos residing in the Philippines. It has 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 also includes the latest voter preferences for the 2028 elections, as well as 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.
