Approval ratings for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte significantly decreased in the third quarter, according to the latest Pulse Asia survey.
President Marcos, who previously held an 80 percent approval in June, saw a drop to 65 percent in the recent September poll. Similarly, Vice President Duterte’s ratings went from 84 percent in June to 73 percent in September.
This dip in popularity is largely attributed to disputes over next year’s national budget, specifically the controversial confidential funds designated for the Office of the President (OP) and Office of the Vice President (OVP). Additional factors include the country’s ongoing territorial disagreement with China in the West Philippine Sea and the soaring commodity prices, especially rice.
Although both the OP and OVP haven’t responded to the survey findings, Pulse Asia highlighted that the President and Vice President still maintain a majority approval on a national scale and across various regions and socioeconomic groups. However, a significant decline in their ratings was observed between June and September.
Further findings by the pollster indicate a decrease in approval levels for the President’s work across all areas and socioeconomic classes in the Philippines. Additionally, Publicus Asia’s third-quarter survey showed anti-administration sentiments rising to 23 percent.
It’s noteworthy that President Marcos’s current approval rating, at 65 percent, slightly surpasses the lowest ever received by his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, who had a 64 percent rating in September 2021.
Trust ratings for both Marcos and Duterte also experienced a decline of 14 and 12 points, respectively. Regionally, President Marcos saw the most significant decrease in Luzon (20 percentage points) and Vice President Duterte experienced her largest drop in the same region (18 percentage points).
Pulse Asia also noted a decline in ratings for other top government officials. House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, and Supreme Court Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo all saw diminished approval ratings. Romualdez saw the most significant decrease, with his rating dropping from 52 percent in June to 41 percent in September.