Duterte maintains high approval, trust ratings amid Covid-19 crisis- poll

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has maintained high approval and trust ratings over a year into the country’s coronavirus crisis that has disrupted the lives and livelihood of millions of Filipinos, an independent pollster has found.

In the first quarter poll conducted by PUBLiCUS Asia Inc., Duterte registered an overall approval rating of 65 percent, nominally lower that his 70 percent score in the survey conducted in December last year.

The President also acquired a trust rating of 55 percent, seven points lower than his 62 percent score in December, according to the PAHAYAG survey.

Meanwhile, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto 3rd secured the second spot in terms of approval rating at 40 percent while Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo registered a 29 percent approval.

Retired chief justice Diosdado Peralta recorded a 28 percent approval rating while Speaker Lord Allan Velasco has 25 percent.

In terms of trust, Robredo registered 19 percent with a distrust rating of 49 percent.

Sotto had a 25 percent trust rating, Peralta at 15 percent and Velasco stood at 14 percent.

Meanwhile, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development were recognized as top performers among government agencies included in the survey.

The survey showed that TESDA received a 61 percent approval rating for its performance, while AFP had 60 percent and DSWD got 57 percent.

The Philippine National Police’s total approval went down from 58 percent in December to 36 percent in this survey run.

The most trusted agencies are the AFP (44 percent), TESDA (43 percent) and the Department of Science and Technology (35 percent).

The PAHAYAG survey, conducted from March 20 to 29, consisted of 1500 respondents drawn from a research panel of approximately 100,000 Filipinos maintained by a Singapore-based firm.

The survey research panel was restricted to registered voters.

The poll is an independent, non-commissioned, national poll covering nine modules: state of the economy and economic prospects, Covid-19 vaccine prioritization and openness to safety protocols, national issues, scorecard for national leaders and institutions, emotional quotient of incumbent and prospective leaders, media consumption habits and responses to media campaigns, predisposition, blended learning, and new normal consumption habits.