Former President Rodrigo Duterte remained the frontrunner for the mayoralty race in Davao City, with 68.37% backing in the latest Blue Vote 2025 in-campus survey conducted by the Ateneo de Davao University – Research Council.
For vice mayor, Sebastian Duterte took the lead, with 60% of respondents expressing their preference for his candidacy.
In the congressional battle, Paolo Duterte stands strong in District 1, securing 56% of votes, while his son Omar Duterte dominates District 2 with 50%, and Isidro Ungab leads District 3 with 40%. For local city councilors, Luna Acosta tops District 1, Danny Dayanghirang emerges first in District 2, and Sweet Advincula rises as frontrunner in District 3.
For the senatorial candidates, Bong Go bags first in rank earning 55% of the vote, followed closely by Bam Aquino with 51%. Ronald Dela Rosa placed third at 42%, with Heidi Mendoza and Luke Espiritu rounding out the top five at 40% and 38%, respectively.
Since the official campaign period for the national level candidates last February 11, 49% said they had seen the complete list of the national candidates while 51% said they have not.
Project Team Leader and Dean of the School of Engineering and Architecture (SEA) Dr. Randell Espina explained that the Blue Vote Political Survey is an initiative that complements the Blue Vote Program of the University Community Engagement and Advocacy Council (UCEAC).
“The In-Campus Blue Vote survey generally aimed to determine voting behavior, leadership preferences, and perceptions on policy-related socio-political and economic issues of import to local and national government. It is non-partisan, not commissioned by outsider groups, and fully funded by the university,” Espina said.
In the survey with 474 respondents, only 29% said they were registered voters of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM); and out of the registered voters of BARMM, 86% said they were aware of the parliamentary elections on May 12, 2025.
However, this has been postponed to October 13, 2025, following the signing of Republic Act No. 12123 by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The respondents of the survey were also asked to identify the top three concerns for incoming Davao City officials, with male respondents prioritizing traffic management (33%), illegal drugs and substances (32%), and low incomes and salaries (27%).
Meanwhile, female respondents also highlighted traffic management (39%), low incomes and salaries (30%), and, at 29% each, threats to peace and order and environmental issues like floods and landslides.
On selected national, political, and socio-economic issues, 36% of respondents remained divided on whether the anti-dynasty provision in the 1987 Constitution should be abolished, while 26% strongly disagreed. 73% agreed that the Philippine government should continue peace negotiations with the CPP-NPA-NDF, with 36% strongly agreeing.
When respondents were asked about their legislative priorities for incoming senators and representatives, the results were as follows:
Among 194 male respondents, the top priorities were health infrastructure (29%), peace and order (26%), and graft and corruption (23%), while among 280 female respondents, the main concerns were health infrastructure and graft and corruption (41% each), followed by peace and order (39%).
University Research Council Member and the Vice President of the Higher Education Unit Fr. Antonio Basilio, S.J., shared how this initiative reflects the university’s shared commitment to engaged citizenship and the responsible exercise of democratic rights.
“The Blue Vote Survey seeks to identify the pulse of our university community on three critical fronts. Voting behavior—how we, as a university, engage in our democratic rights and responsibilities. Leadership preferences, the qualities and values we seek in those we entrust in public office, perceptions on policy issues—our views on key sociopolitical and economic matters that shape our local and national realities.”
The respondents were divided into 259 students, 88 faculty members, 80 non-teaching personnel, 41 administrators, and 6 formations—a total of 474.
The dissemination was conducted on March 28, 2025 through Zoom and was livestreamed on Facebook.