‘Fake news’ fueling drop in Marcos ratings – Palace

Metro Manila, Philippines – The declining trust and approval scores of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. may have been influenced by the spread of “fake news,” a Palace official said Monday.

In a press briefing, Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said false information may have shaped public perception, as reflected in the latest Pulse Asia survey which showed a 17-point drop in the president’s trust ratings in March.

“Dapat nating malaman ang mga respondents, saan ang mga respondents. Ang mga respondents bang ito ay nakakatanggap ng totoong news o naiimpluwensiyahan ng fake news? Ang mga respondents bang ito ay hindi nakakarating ang tulong ng gobyerno,” said Castro.

[Translation: We need to understand who the respondents are and where they are from. Are these respondents receiving factual news or are they being influenced by fake news? Are these respondents among those who haven't felt the government’s aid?]

Castro said the administration will continue to govern based on law and policy, and not on potentially skewed public perception, especially since the survey was conducted shortly after the International Criminal Court (ICC) ordered the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

“Kung anuman po ang nagiging desisyon ng Pangulo at ng administrasyon at ito ay nagre-reflect sa isang survey, nanaisin pa rin po at ipapatupad pa rin ng Pangulo kung ano ang nasa batas at kung ano ang tama,” she added.

[Translation: Whatever decisions the president and the administration make - even if they are reflected in the surveys - the president will still pursue and implement what is in accordance with the law and what is right.]

Marcos' trust and approval ratings plunged significantly in March, while Vice President Sara Duterte’s scores improved, according to Pulse Asia's “Ulat ng Bayan” survey released on April 16.

Conducted from March 23 to 29, the survey found that the president’s approval rating dropped by 17 points - from 42 percent in February to just 25 percent in March. His disapproval rating rose to 53 percent, with 22 percent undecided.

In contrast, Duterte’s approval rating rose from 52 percent to 59 percent. Only 16 percent disapproved of her performance, while 25 percent were undecided.

“Among the four highest-ranking national government officials, only Vice President Sara Duterte receives a majority approval rating,” Pulse Asia said.

The survey also showed a steep decline in Marcos’ trust ratings - from 42 percent in February to 25 percent in March - while Duterte’s trust score climbed by eight points to 61 percent.

“Duterte is the only top official with an improvement in trust ratings,” the polling firm added.