Ortega on survey: Pinoys choose pro-Philippines Marcos over Duterte
At A Glance
- House Deputy Majority Leader La Union 1st district Rep. Paolo Ortega V has hailed Filipinos' apparent preference with "Team Pilipinas" under President Marcos.
Philippine flag (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)
House Deputy Majority Leader La Union 1st district Rep. Paolo Ortega V has hailed Filipinos' apparent preference with "Team Pilipinas" under President Marcos.
Ortega, a member of the "Young Guns" bloc in the House of Representatives, was alluding to the results of the latest Tugon ng Masa survey, conducted by OCTA Research from Jan. 25 to 31.
“The people have spoken. The Duterte era is over. Team Pilipinas is moving forward,” Ortega said.
The survey shows that 36 percent of Filipinos support Marcos, while only 18 percent back his direct predecessor, former president Rodrigo Duterte. Meanwhile, 26 percent support neither, and 8 percent back the opposition.
“This survey confirms that Filipinos are firmly standing with Team Pilipinas, rejecting leaders who have compromised the nation for China—whether by surrendering our rights in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) or enabling the unchecked rise of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) controlled by Chinese interests,” Ortega said.
Ortega noted that during the previous Duterte administration, the Philippines weakened its stance on the WPS and allowed China to expand its military presence. What's worse was that the 2016 arbitral ruling--the landmark decision that favored the Philippines' position in the WPS--was downplayed.
But Ortega noticed that Duterte’s ties to China went beyond territorial disputes—his administration also oversaw the unchecked rise of POGOs, many of which have been linked to illegal activities such as money laundering, and organized crime involving Chinese nationals.
"The damage his administration caused is still being cleaned up today,” the Ilocano said.
Ortega said Filipinos are rallying behind Marcos because of his stronger stance on sovereignty as well as his crackdown on illegal POGO operations that flourished under Duterte’s watch.
“President Bongbong Marcos is standing up for the country. He is defending our waters, going after illegal POGOs, and cutting off China’s backdoor influence. That is why Filipinos are with Team Pilipinas, not Team China,” he said.