VICE President Sara Z. Duterte’s lead in the 2028 presidential race is narrowing, and House Senior Deputy Majority Leader Lorenz Defensor of Iloilo said Tuesday the latest Pulse Asia and OCTA survey results are no coincidence, pointing to rising public awareness of her impeachment and her deafening silence on the allegations.
“Yes, pwedeng bumaba ang rating ng vice president dahil walang sagot sa impeachment. Tandaan niyo, maraming Pilipino ang nanonood sa TV, sa YouTube, nakikinig sa radio ng live ng mga committee hearings. Sa telepono lang, hawak-hawak mo, pwede ka na manood,” Defensor said in an interview with dZMM on Tuesday.
Defensor, a lawyer and member of the Committee on Justice, also stressed that as more evidence emerges supporting allegations of public fund misuse, bribery, corruption, and grave threats, it won’t come as a surprise when support within Congress for her impeachment would continue to grow by the time the plenary is ready to vote.
“At the more na may lumalabas na ebidensyang hindi [sinasagot] ng vice president… kahit papaano ang mga congressmen at ang mga Pilipino, mas nakakaintindi kung ano ‘yung ebidensya, kaya siguro bumaba ang kanyang rating,” he said.
Pulse Asia’s latest survey, conducted from February 27 to March 2, showed Duterte’s edge shrinking to 51% against Naga City Mayor and former vice president Leni Robredo’s 43% in a hypothetical head-to-head race. A similar trend appeared in OCTA’s March 19-25 survey, where Duterte posted 46% support against Robredo’s 35%.
Against Sen. Raffy Tulfo, however, Pulse Asia showed a statistical tie at 46% each, with Tulfo strongest in Balance Luzon and Duterte in the Visayas and Mindanao.
In earlier national surveys on 2028 presidential preferences, Duterte consistently emerged as the clear frontrunner against Robredo, Tulfo, and other potential contenders.
However, the narrowing gap in the latest surveys suggests a shift. Defensor said this indicates that more Filipinos are becoming aware of the sociopolitical issues surrounding public officials, particularly the vice president, who is facing serious corruption allegations in the impeachment proceedings.
He added that as more evidence comes to light without a direct response from Duterte, public opinion appears to be gradually changing.
“It is a welcome development na ang awareness ng tao sa mga issues, especially on corruption and on the impeachment is better. Mas magandang mas transparent ang nakikita ng taong ebidensya para maging batayan din nila ‘yun for 2028,” Defensor added.
Duterte announced her 2028 presidential bid as early as February 18, 2026 — more than a year before the filing of certificates of candidacy. Robredo and Tulfo, meanwhile, have both said they are not running for president and prefer reelection.
Despite this, their survey numbers and their support bases have continued to grow amid the ongoing impeachment proceedings against the vice president.
Defensor, however, said that if Duterte is not impeached and convicted, she would be harder to beat in a multi-candidate race. Instead, her chances of losing would be higher in a one-on-one contest rather than a three-cornered fight, he added.
“Mas magandang magsama ang mga hindi-Duterte para mas matatag ang kanilang boto. Mas matatag ang kalaban ni Vice President Sara kung one-on-one pa rin kesa sa mag-three-way fight. Sa 2028, dapat ang boto ng one-on-one, dapat simot mo ang mga support mo. Hindi pwedeng makihati pa na iba,” he said.
The House of Representatives is expected to vote on Duterte’s impeachment on May 11, after giving its 318 members time to review the articles of impeachment unanimously approved by the Committee on Justice. With 55 votes already secured, only 51 more are needed to meet the one-third threshold and send the impeachment case to a Senate trial.
Lawmakers such as Defensor, however, expect more members to vote in favor, citing the committee’s findings, the evidence presented during the hearings, and Duterte’s consistent refusal to respond to the allegations.
