By ELLALYN V. RUIZ with a report from Genalyn D. Kabiling
After suffering a slump in his performance and trust ratings in the first quarter of 2017, President Duterte’s numbers bounced back to 82 percent and 81 percent in the second quarter, according to the latest Pulse Asia survey released yesterday.
Using face-to-face interviews of 1,200 respondents, the June 24 to 29 nationwide survey found out that 82 percent of Filipinos approved of Duterte’s work in the past three months. Only five percent disapproved while 13 percent were undecided on his performance.
Eighty one percent expressed trust in the President, 14 percent were undecided, and five percent have little or no trust in him.
Duterte’s latest approval and trust ratings are higher than the 78 percent and 76 percent in the March 2017 survey.
The survey also showed that the approval and trust ratings of Vice President Leni Robredo, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, and Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno have improved.
Robredo’s approval rating went up rose from 56 percent to 60 percent and trust rating from 58 percent to 61 percent.
Among the five top government officials next to Duterte, Pimentel received the most significant improvement in approval and trust ratings from 55 percent to 62 percent and 51 percent to 58 percent.
Alvarez’s approval rating increased from 40 to 43 percent, 41 percent trust the House chief, while 38 percent were undecided on his performance.
Forty eight percent approved Sereno’s work this quarter from 42 percent three months ago. Sereno had a 43 percent trust rating while 39 percent were undecided on her performance.
Pulse Asia said Duterte and Pimentel obtained majority approval ratings across all geographic areas (75 percent to 95 percent and 54 percent to 71 percent, respectively) and socio-economic classes (79 percent to 84 percent and 60 percent to 62 percent, respectively).
Robredo has majority approval ratings in most geographic areas and socio-economic groupings (60 percent to 66 percent and 60 percent to 72 percent, respectively) with Metro Manila and class ABC or upper-to-middle class being the exceptions (both at 44 percent).
Malacañang was pleased by the public support Duterte received in the survey.
“It’s pleasant news,” presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said. “How come there’s such a high approval rating?
Simply because of that. That he gets them and they get him,” he added.
The survey was conducted amid the Marawi crisis, the declaration of martial law in Mindanao due to the Marawi siege; and the downgrading of the charges filed against members of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Region 8 headed by Supt. Marvin Marcos in connection with the killing of Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa.