MOST or 78 percent of Filipinos approve of the work done by President Rodrigo Duterte, Pulse Asia Research said Monday, citing the results of its March 2017 Ulat ng Bayan Survey.
In the latest survey period, Duterte was followed by Vice President Leni Robredo with 58 percent, and Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III with 55 percent.
The quarterly survey tracks the performance and trust ratings of the top five government officials.
“Three of the leading officials of the national government score majority approval and trust ratings in March 2017; public opinion about these officials’ work and trustworthiness remains virtually constant between December 2016 and March 2017,” said Pulse Asia.
House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno showed very little change in the latest survey period, winning the approval of 40 percent and 42 percent, respectively.
As in the previous Ulat ng Bayan surveys, the latest nationwide survey was based on a sample of 1,200 representative adults 18 years and above. It has a ± 3 percent error margin at the 95 percent confidence level. Subnational estimates for each of the geographic areas covered in the survey (i.e., Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao) have a ± 6 percent error margin, also at 95 percent confidence level.
Between December 2016 and March 2017, the performance ratings of the top government officials remained basically the same, Pulse Asia said.
In March 2017, only Duterte succeeded in scoring majority approval figures in all geographic areas and socio-economic groupings (71 percent to 88 percent and 77 percent to 86 percent, respectively). Robredo registered majority approval ratings in most geographic areas and socio-economic classes (58 percent to 61 percent and 57 percent to 66 percent, respectively), with the exceptions being Metro Manila and Class ABC, where she posts a near majority approval score (46 percent).
Pimentel’s performance is appreciated by most Filipinos in Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, Mindanao, and in every socio-economic class (54 percent to 61 percent and 54 percent to 58 percent, respectively). It is only in the Visayas where he failed to obtain a majority approval rating (48 percent).
On the other hand, Alvarez scored a majority approval rating only in Mindanao (56 percent).
He recorded practically the same approval and indecision figures in Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, and Classes ABC and D (33 percent to 43 percent and 37 percent to 44 percent, respectively).
Sereno had a near majority approval rating in Mindanao (48 percent) but records almost the same approval and indecision figures in the other geographic areas and in all socio-economic groupings (35 percent to 47 percent versus 35 percent to 50 percent).
The same pattern was seen in the public’s assessment of the officials’ trustworthiness, with Duterte getting the nod from 76 percent of respondents; Robredo, 56 percent and Pimentel, 51 percent.
A big plurality of Filipinos (44 percent ) cannot say if they trust or distrust Alvarez. Basically the same trust and indecision ratings are obtained by Sereno (40 percent versus 43 percent). On the other hand, the highest distrust rating, numerically speaking, is recorded by Robredo (16 percent) while the lowest is registered by Duterte (5 percent).
Ambivalence concerning these officials’ trustworthiness is most pronounced toward House (44 percent) and least marked toward Duterte (18 percent).
Public sentiment concerning the trustworthiness of these officials are virtually unchanged between December 2016 and March 2017.
Trust is the predominant sentiment toward President Duterte in each geographic area and socio-economic class (67 percent to 90 percent and 74 percent to 84 percent, respectively).
Robredo enjoys majority trust ratings in practically all geographic areas and socio-economic groupings (57 percent to 59 percent and 54 percent to 67 percent, respectively).
Again, the exceptions were Metro Manila and Class ABC where the vice president posts plurality trust scores (44 percent and 49 percent, respectively). Majority trust ratings were obtained by Pimentel in Metro Manila (55 percent), Mindanao (59 percent), and Classes ABC and E (52 percent and 54 percent, respectively).
