Duterte’s approval, trust ratings steady in June – Pulse Asia

By Melissa Luz Lopez, CNN Philippines, Jul 17, 2019

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 17) — Most Filipinos still trust and approve of President Rodrigo Duterte, independent pollster Pulse Asia Research said Wednesday.

A Pulse Asia survey from June 24-30 showed Duterte enjoying an 85 percent performance rating, down two points from his 87 percent score in March. However, the research firm said this drop is “marginal” across national, geographic, and socio-economic measures.

Only 3 percent said they disapproved of Duterte’s work, while 11 percent were undecided. By location, his approval rating suffered a six-point drop in Mindanao, his long-time bailiwick.

The survey came after the June 9 incident at Recto Bank where a Chinese vessel rammed into and sunk a boat carrying 22 Filipino fishermen. Duterte later on revealed a verbal deal with President Xi Jinping that allows Chinese fishermen to venture into Philippine waters, which some critics said is unconstitutional.

PulseAsia also noted several news events ahead of the survey dates, among them the fraud allegations in the conduct of the May 13 elections, the bombing in Sulu, the passage of a bill raising tobacco excise taxes, continued water supply interruptions in Metro Manila, and reported ghost dialysis claims from the state-run Philippine Health Insurance Corp.

Duterte’s net satisfaction hits new record-high in Q2 2019 – SWS

Four other top officials of the land enjoyed a rating boost in June. Vice President Leni Robredo secured a 55 percent performance score, up by six percentage points from her March rating. Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III saw the biggest ratings lift, with a 12-point jump to a 77 percent approval score in June.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin received a three-point boost to a 41 percent performance rating. However, an equal number of Filipinos said they are undecided about his performance. Only 72 percent of survey respondents said they knew the top magistrate, who was appointed by Duterte to lead the bench in November 2018.

On the other hand, only 26 percent of Filipinos said they are satisfied with the performance of former President and House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, with 47 percent saying they disapprove of her leadership in the chamber. Some 27 percent said they were undecided about Arroyo.

Pulse Asia said the survey covered 1,200 Filipino adults via face-to-face interviews.

Meanwhile, the President’s trust rating steadied at 85 percent from the previous survey round, with only 4 percent saying he was not trustworthy. He is followed by Sotto with 73 percent and Robredo at 52 percent.

Only 35 percent of Filipinos think Bersamin is trustworthy, with 48 percent again undecided about the head of the high court. Almost half of Filipinos also said they had little trust in Arroyo, with only 22 percent who think she is trustworthy.