Duterte keeps ‘big majority’ approval, trust ratings in Pulse poll

MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte has maintained his “big majority” approval and trust ratings – both at 80% – in the latest survey of Pulse Asia Research, Incorporated released Friday, October 13.

Based on the results of the survey held from September 24 to 30, Duterte obtained 80% approval, 7% disapproval, while 13% of Filipinos are undecided on his performance as Chief Executive.

The President’s September approval rating is 2 percentage points lower than in June, when it was at 82%.

“Across geographic areas and socio-economic classes, President Duterte enjoys majority approval ratings (72% to 92% and 75% to 86%, respectively) and trust figures (72% to 93% and 74% to 85%, respectively),” Pulse Asia president Ronald Holmes said in a statement on Friday.

The President’s trust rating in September was 1 percentage point lower than in June, when it was at 81%. Given a ±3% error margin at the 95% confidence level, the rating is essentially unchanged.

The survey fieldwork was conducted from September 24 to 30, using face-to-face interviews with 1,200 respondents nationwide. 

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% error margin, also at 95% confidence level, said Pulse Asia.

The Pulse survey results paint a different picture from the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey results released earlier this week. The SWS survey period was conducted around the same time, from September 23 to 27. (READ: Duterte’s satisfaction, trust ratings drop – SWS)

During and before the Pulse survey period, the major news included the Senate probe into the shipment of P6.4 billion of shabu, where Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte and presidential son-in-law Manases Carpio appeared after they were alleged to be involved in smuggling. Both denied the allegations.

Another was the “revelation” of Duterte that Senator Antonio Trillanes IV had a secret bank account in Singapore, which the senator disproved. The President later admitted that he just “invented” the bank account numbers that he had announced in public supposedly to “bait” his critic.

The killings of teens Kian delos Santos, Karl Arnaiz, and Reynaldo de Guzman also dominated the headlines in August and early September, fanning public outrage and criticism of Duterte’s war on drugs. – Rappler.com