Pope Francis trusted by 71% of Filipinos — survey

MANILA, Philippines — A huge number of Filipinos expressed their trust in Pope Francis, a local survey said.

In a press release on Saturday, Oculum Research and Analytics said that the pontiff is one of the country’s most trusted personalities, with 71% of Filipinos saying they trust him.

Joseph Mercado, the think tank’s chief statistician, said that Pope Francis enjoys a high level of trust due to his “global reputation for humility” and his views on various issues.

“As a prominent religious figure, Pope Francis enjoys a high level of trust, likely due to his global reputation for humility, compassion and progressive views on various social issues," Mercado said.

Pope Francis has garnered praise for his proactive approach in acknowledging long-standing issues that the Catholic Church has traditionally opposed.

During a televised interview in October 2016, he advocated for respect towards the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) community and raised thought-provoking questions about gender theory.

He is also known for his concern for the poor and commitment to interreligious dialogue. 

Pope Francis, who is also known as Jorge Mario Bergoglio, has been elected the figure-head of the Roman Catholic Church in 2013 following the resignation of the late Pope Benedict XVI.

It could be recalled that he visited the Philippines for five days in January 2015. Aside from Manila, the pontiff visited Tacloban, Leyte who was struck by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) two years prior. 

Among the other “most trusted” personalities are Vice President Sara Duterte with 76%, former President Rodrigo Duterte with 66%, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri with 52% and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. with 51%.

The same poll also found that the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) is one of the most trusted institutions in the country, with 79% of Filipinos finding the assembly trustworthy.

Other “most trusted” institutions are the following: academe (87%), business (75%), local government (80%), media (65%) and national government (78%).

The survey by the think tank was conducted in a national scale from February 21 to February 29, with 3,000 respondents selected through random sampling.