Public satisfaction with both President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte continued to erode in the opening months of 2026, with a new survey showing declining numbers for both officials amid a string of political and governance controversies.
The data comes from Pahayag 2026, a non-commissioned survey conducted by PUBLiCus Asia, which polled 1,509 registered voters from March 21 to 24 through PureSpectrum, a US-based panel marketplace operating through its Singapore office.
Sara Duterte, despite recording the steepest drop among top officials, held onto her position as the highest-rated government figure. Her approval rating slid from 34 to 28 percent, while trust fell from 31 to 26 percent. Analysts attributed the decline partly to ongoing impeachment complaints against her and developments in the International Criminal Court case involving her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is currently detained at The Hague on crimes against humanity charges tied to his anti-drug campaign.
Marcos posted approval ratings of 19 percent, down from 22, and trust ratings of 13 percent, down from 15. Respondents pointed to unresolved accountability over flood control failures, rising fuel costs, and the administration’s handling of the ICC proceedings against the elder Duterte as factors weighing against him.
Senate President Tito Sotto followed the vice president in the rankings, with 23 percent approval and 14 percent trust. Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy registered 11 percent approval and 6 percent trust, while Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo posted 16 percent approval and 10 percent trust.
Government agencies fared considerably better than elected officials. The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority led the institutional rankings with 65 percent approval and 45 percent trust, followed by the Department of Science and Technology at 55 and 39 percent, and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas at 53 and 37 percent. The Department of Public Works and Highways and the House of Representatives recorded the weakest institutional scores.
