Duterte, Robredo, Pimentel lead in trust, performance among top officials — Pulse Asia

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte and other top officials continue to enjoy public confidence in terms of performance and trust, according to Pulse Asia’s June 2017 “Ulat ng Bayan” national survey.

The polling group said it conducted its survey fieldwork on June 24-29, using face-to- face interviews.

“Sizeable to big majority approval scores are enjoyed by three of the country’s leading government officials — President Rodrigo R. Duterte (82%), Vice-President Maria Leonor G. Robredo (61%), and Senate President Aquilino L. Pimentel III (62%). Practically the same approval and indecision ratings are posted by House Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez (43% versus 38%) while a near majority of Filipinos (48%) approve of the work done by Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes A. Sereno,” Pulse Asia said, adding,

“Ambivalence toward their performance is most marked toward House Speaker Alvarez (38%) and least manifest in the case of President Duterte.”

“The only majority approval score of House Speaker Alvarez is granted by Mindanawons (62%). He registers almost the same approval and indecision figures in the other geographic areas (36% to 43% versus 40% to 41%) and all socioeconomic classes (42% to 46% versus 36% to 45%),” the survey also noted.

“Both President Duterte and Senate President Pimentel obtain majority approval figures across all geographic areas (75%to 95% and 54% to 71%, respectively) and socioeconomic classes (79% to 84% and 60% to 62%, respectively). Vice-President Robredo has majority approval ratings in most geographic areas and socioeconomic groupings (60% to 66% and 60% to 72%, respectively), with Metro Manila and Class ABC being the exceptions ( both at 44%),” the survey said.

In terms of trust among these officials, public opinion “is generally unchanged between March and June 2017,” Pulse Asia said.

“Trust is the majority sentiment toward President Duterte ( 81%), Vice-President Robredo (60%), and Senate President Pimentel (58%) in June 2017. On the other hand, 41% of Filipinos either trust House Speaker Alvarez or are ambivalent about his trustworthiness while Supreme Court Chief Justice Sereno records basically the same trust and indecision figures (43% versus 39%).”

“Levels of distrust in these officials range from 5% for President Duterte to 17% for Vice-President Robredo. Numerically speaking, House Speaker Alvarez has the highest indecision figure (41%) while the lowest one is posted by President Duterte (14%),” the survey noted further.

Among the “significant movements” in terms of trust as cited by the poll are the “increase in the trust ratings of Senate President Pimentel at the national level (+7 percentage points) and among Visayans (+12 percentage points); rise in the level of trust in House Speaker Alvarez among Visayans (+12 percentage points); and (3) decline in the indecision figure of Vice-President Robredo in Class D (-8 percentage points).”

As for the institutions, “Congress and the Supreme Court register majority approval and trust ratings in June 2017; Filipinos’ assessment of these entities’ performance is practically constant between March and June 2017 but there are a few marked changes in their trust ratings at this time,” Pulse Asia said.