A recent survey by the Philippine polling agency TANGERE reveals that the majority of Filipinos do not support the government's assistance in the International Criminal Police Organization's arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
The data shows that 75% of respondents explicitly oppose this action, with particularly strong opposition from respondents in Central Luzon, Southern Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, covering most of the country.
Additionally, 73% of respondents believe that this move could exacerbate domestic divisions and lead to social unrest. Notably, after Duterte's arrest, two-thirds of the population that previously supported the Marcos administration lost confidence in the government, indicating a severe impact on the credibility of the ruling team.
The poll also surveyed the upcoming May midterm elections, showing that Senator Mon Tulfo, veteran media personality Min Dufu, and ACT-CIS Representative Erwin Tulfo all received about 54% support.
In the poll rankings, Min Dufu leads with 54.63%, mainly supported in the Greater Manila Area and Visayas region. Following closely is Mon Tulfo with a 54% support rate, ranking second with a notable increase in support among voters in Mindanao. Erwin Tulfo ranks third with 53.50%, gaining widespread support in Northern Luzon, Central Luzon, and Southern Luzon.
The survey results also show that Duterte's arrest incident has significantly boosted the electoral prospects for the PDP-LABAN camp candidates. For example, Mon Tulfo's support rate rose from 51.25% to 54%, Senator Ronald dela Rosa from 36.54% to 37.29%, and Pili Shimada from 21.92% to 22.67%. Other PDP-LABAN candidates also saw varying degrees of increase, including Representative Rodante Marcoleta (from 19.12% to 19.83%) and lawyer Jimmy Bondoc (from 17.63% to 18.13%).
The most significant growth came from former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, whose support rate surged from 6.63% to 10.42%. Former Senate President Tito Sotto ranked fourth with a 47.67% support rate, while Senators Risa Hontiveros and Pia Cayetano tied for fifth to sixth place with 42% each.
Additionally, former Interior Secretary Min Yaballo tied with Senator Lapid (37%), former Senator Manny Pacquiao (36.92%), and Bing Lacson (36.29%) in support rates.
Conversely, some candidates saw a decline in support rates. Senator Imee Marcos's support rate dropped from 29.04% to 27.13%, and Durian Geno from 28.00% to 27.00%. Analysts suggest that these changes may be related to recent political turmoil and the impact of Duterte's arrest.
