THE political influence of the Duterte family remains strong among younger Filipino voters, particularly in Mindanao, with Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte emerging as the most preferred senatorial candidate among Generation Z respondents for the 2028 elections, a new survey showed.
Baste Duterte was favored by 47 percent of Gen Z respondents, ahead of Sen. Robin Padilla (40 percent), Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto (33 percent) and Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano (27 percent), based on the Oct. 16 to 19 National Momentum Survey conducted by Momentum Research.
The findings also showed strong support for Duterte-aligned candidates in Mindanao, where 62 percent of respondents said they would vote for Baste Duterte as senator, followed by Padilla at 54 percent and Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte at 45 percent.
Cayetano ranked fourth in Mindanao with 44 percent.
Nationally, Padilla topped the survey with 37 percent, narrowly ahead of Baste Duterte at 36 percent and Cayetano at 35 percent. Sen. Raffy Tulfo followed with 34 percent.
Completing the national top 12 were Sotto (32 percent), former senator Grace Poe (29 percent), former senator Manny Pacquiao (26 percent), Sen. Francis Escudero (23 percent), Sen. Loren Legarda (23 percent), Pulong Duterte (21 percent), Makati City Mayor Nancy Binay (19 percent) and broadcaster Ben Tulfo (17 percent).
The survey also found a sharp divide along political affiliations.
Among respondents identified as pro-Duterte, 67 percent preferred Baste Duterte for senator, while 60 percent chose Padilla. Pulong Duterte received 43 percent, followed by Cayetano at 41 percent.
Among pro-Marcos respondents, Tulfo led with 57 percent, followed by Sotto (39 percent), Cayetano (38 percent), Poe (37 percent), Pacquiao (34 percent) and Ben Tulfo (30 percent).
Sotto, meanwhile, was the leading choice among opposition supporters at 49 percent, followed by Tulfo at 40 percent. Independents also favored Sotto (36 percent), narrowly ahead of Tulfo (35 percent), Padilla (33 percent), Cayetano (32 percent), and Poe (32 percent).
The generational breakdown showed that Duterte-aligned candidates were particularly competitive among younger voters.
Among millennials, Padilla led with 48 percent, followed by Cayetano (40 percent) and Baste Duterte (39 percent). Gen X respondents preferred Cayetano (44 percent), Tulfo (42 percent) and Poe (35 percent).
Among baby boomers and the Silent Generation, Tulfo led with 42 percent, followed by Sotto (37 percent) and Poe (30 percent).
Baste Duterte registered the biggest increase in support since Momentum Research's August survey, gaining 6 percentage points. Revilla gained four points, while Poe, Pacquiao and Mark Villar each increased by three points.
The October non-commissioned survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 1,401 Filipino adults nationwide. Respondents could select up to 12 names from a list of 51 potential senatorial candidates.
It had a national margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points at a 95-percent confidence level.
The survey also found regional differences in senatorial preferences. In Metro Manila, Cayetano led with 48 percent, followed by Sotto (44 percent), Tulfo (38 percent), Poe (35 percent), Pacquiao (33 percent) and Baste Duterte (33 percent).
In Visayas, Padilla led with 39 percent, followed by Cayetano (38 percent), Pacquiao and Tulfo (36 percent each), and Sotto (35 percent) and Poe (34 percent).
In the rest of Luzon, Tulfo topped the preferences with 39 percent, followed by Sotto (38 percent), Poe (30 percent), Padilla (30 percent), Cayetano (25 percent) and Baste Duterte (25 percent).
The non-commissioned survey measured respondents' voting intentions if the elections were held at the time of the interviews.
