Marcos, Sara trust ratings decline further – SWS

MANILA, Philippines — More than two years after a landslide victory in the 2022 elections, the erstwhile tandem of President Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte will end 2024 with a significant decline in their trust ratings.

A recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey commissioned by the Stratbase group showed a declining trend in the trust ratings of the two highest officials of the land.

From 64 percent in July, trust in Marcos dropped to 57 percent in September and 54 percent in the latest survey conducted from Dec. 12 to 18.

Those who have little trust in Marcos stayed at 25 percent, similar to what he obtained in the September poll, but higher by four points from 21 percent in July.

Those undecided increased from 14 percent in July to 17 percent in September and 19 percent in December.

Trust in Duterte also plunged by double digits in the past six months. From 65 percent in July, it went down by 10 points to 55 percent in September and further dropped to 52 percent in the latest poll this month.

Distrust in the Vice President increased from 21 percent in July to 27 percent in September and 29 percent in December.

Stratbase president Dindo Manhit said the results reflect the public’s clamor for the government to strengthen its response to the most urgent national concerns such as inflation and job creation.

“There is a need for the government to continuously implement strategic interventions and bolster awareness about significant government efforts that aim to address key socio-economic concerns, especially among the youth and highly educated groups,” he said in a statement.

“As inflation and livelihood persist as pressing issues, the administration must focus on delivering clear and impactful solutions that resonate with the daily lives of Filipinos. For Filipinos, economic performance and good governance remain the most compelling proof points for boosting public trust,” he added.

In the case of Duterte, Manhit said the decline in her trust ratings may be due to the controversies she is facing, including the unexplained spending of confidential and intelligence

“The unresolved controversies surrounding the unexplained spending of confidential and intelligence funds have significantly eroded her credibility and intensified public calls for accountability, a fundamental duty expected of all public servants,” he said.

Duterte is facing three impeachment complaints at the House of Representatives.

Stratbase noted that the SWS poll results were consistent with a similar survey conducted by Pulse Asia earlier this month, which showed declining approval and trust ratings among top government officials.

The Pulse Asia survey showed that Marcos had an approval rating of 48 percent (from 50 percent) and trust rating of 47 percent (from 50 percent), while Duterte had an approval rating of 50 percent (from 60 percent) and trust rating of 49 percent (from 61 percent).

“At the start of the year, the President and Vice President had a significant gap in their trust ratings, with the President trailing far behind. However, by (the fourth quarter), the Vice President’s trust rating had nearly converged with the President’s, despite maintaining strong support in Mindanao. Notably, she has been losing ground in the Visayas,” Manhit said.

The SWS survey had 2,160 respondents and a margin of error of plus/minus two percent.