Malacañang has called on the public to base their political judgments on concrete facts and evidence rather than relying solely on early pre-election surveys for the 2028 presidential race.
The reminder follows a recent OCTA Research survey showing a narrow lead for a potential alliance between former Vice President and current Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo and Senator Raffy Tulfo against the tandem of Vice President Sara Duterte and Senator Imee Marcos.
Asked on Thursday, August 13, whether the ongoing impeachment proceedings involving the Vice President might be influencing early presidential preferences, Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro encouraged citizens to seek out the truth.
“Tingin ko dapat tumingin ang mga kababayan natin sa katotohanan,” Castro stated.
“Kung ano iyong nakikitang ebidensiya, dapat maging mulat sila kung ano iyong katotohanan,” she added.
Castro advised against interpreting individual polling results as definitive markers of public sentiment, pointing out that certain survey operations might be leveraged to influence public opinion.
“May mga pagkakataon po kasi — hindi natin nilalahat; maraming maaayos na survey firms — pero may mga survey firms na baka nagagamit sa pamumulitika,” Castro noted.
“Nagkakaroon ng mind conditioning, para iangat iyong kanilang mga parokyano,” she elaborated.
The Palace official stressed the importance of examining a broader range of evidence before forming political opinions ahead of the next national elections.
“So, mas maganda po tumingin tayo sa lahat ng ebidensiya, hindi sa sinabi ng isa, ito ang na-survey dito, kung ano iyong katotohanan, doon lang po mas magiging maayos ang pagde-decide ng bawat Pilipino,” Castro explained.
“Maging mapanuri lang,” she concluded.
The warning comes after the release of OCTA Research’s Tugon ng Masa survey, conducted July 4–11 using a nationwide sample of 1,200 adults and carrying a \pm 3\% margin of error.
The polling data indicated a tight race:
- Robredo–Tulfo Tandem: 45\% national support
- Duterte–Marcos Tandem: 42\% national support
Regional distributions revealed distinct strongholds for both sides. The Robredo-Tulfo partnership led in the National Capital Region (56%) and Balance Luzon (61%). In the Visayas, both pairings were deadlocked at 45% each, while the Duterte-Marcos alliance dominated Mindanao with 90% voter support.