Rep Ortega says survey shows Marcos has more support than Duterte

House Deputy Majority Leader Rep. Paolo Ortega of La Union 1st district has praised the Filipino people's support for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., citing a recent Tugon ng Masa survey conducted by OCTA Research.

The survey indicates that President Marcos enjoys the backing of 36 percent of Filipinos, while former president Rodrigo Duterte receives only 18 percent approval, with 26 percent supporting neither and 8 percent aligning with the opposition.

Ortega emphasized that Filipinos are rejecting leaders who have compromised national interests with China, particularly regarding territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea and the proliferation of POGO operators linked to illegal activities.

He noted that under Duterte's administration, the Philippines weakened its stance on the WPS and allowed the expansion of Chinese military presence, while also enabling the unchecked rise of POGOs associated with criminal activity.

Ortega argued that Filipinos are rallying behind Marcos due to his stronger position on sovereignty and efforts to address illegal POGO operations, which he views as a step towards curbing China's influence in the country.

The lawmaker further highlighted that during Duterte's time, the Philippines' territorial claim to the WPS weakened, while several moves were made that gave rise to illegal activities in POGOs, money laundering and other organized crimes.