Tulfo beats Sara in 2028 ‘match-up’ polls – OCTA

MANILA, Philippines — If the 2028 presidential race would be down to two leading candidates, Sen. Raffy Tulfo will win by a significant margin against Vice President Sara Duterte, based on commissioned polls conducted by the OCTA Research group.

“In all the survey results, Sen. Raffy Tulfo won by a margin of some 10 to 15 points,” OCTA fellow Ranjit Rye told One News’ “Storycon” on Tuesday.

“No survey that we have come up with show that, in a one-on-one situation, did Sara Duterte win over Sen. Raffy Tulfo,” he said as he disclosed the results of three commissioned surveys they conducted related to the 2028 presidential elections.

Rye stressed that these findings “don’t really matter” because a two-way presidential race never happened post-EDSA.

“What I’m trying to say, maybe in a real election, in a traditional election in the Philippines, you don’t have just one or two candidates,” he said.

“In a three- or four-way contest, these numbers will change. It’s slightly going to favor VP Sara or the candidates with a bailiwick,” he noted.

Too early

During the interview, Rye also stressed that it is still too early to conduct surveys on the 2028 presidential elections, saying there is “so much that will happen between now and 2028.”

He was responding to Tulfo’s request that his name be taken out of surveys for the next presidential elections.

“We respect the opinion of Sen. Raffy Tulfo. We’ll discuss it, and most likely we will take his name out. It’s really too early to do polls for 2028,” Rye said.

“It is quite early to talk about 2028 now… I can understand Sen. Tulfo’s concern because it might sidetrack him from what he has to do or the message he wants to advocate or the advocacies that he wants to push because people will always suspect him of positioning for 2028,” he added.

In his program “Wanted sa Radyo,” Tulfo said it pains him that discussions right now are already focused on who will replace the current administration even if it has just started.

“We should be talking about how we can support this administration going towards its goal,” he said.

“Please do not include my name. I implore you, especially in 2028,” he added.

A recent Pulse Asia survey showed Tulfo statistically tied with Duterte among those preferred to run for president in 2028.

The senator obtained 35 percent of support from respondents while Duterte received 34 percent.

They were followed by former vice president Leni Robredo with 11 percent; Sen. Imee Marcos, five percent; Sen. Robin Padilla, two percent; Sen. Risa Hontiveros, one percent and Speaker Martin Romualdez with less than a percent of support.

On OCTA’s part, Rye said much of their polls regarding the senator are commissioned.

“That’s why we haven’t released anything regarding his numbers,” he noted.

While they respect Tulfo’s request, he said there are poll questions they cannot control.