Marcos trust ratings dips, Duterte regains trust - survey

Metro Manila, Philippines - Even with a slight decline, six in 10 Filipinos continue to trust President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., while Vice President Sara Duterte has regained ground in public trust, an independent survey conducted by OCTA Research showed.

In a survey held on April 2 to 5, Marcos’ trust ratings dipped to 60% from 65% in the fourth quarter of 2024.

“It is important to note that, despite the decline, most adult Filipinos still express trust in President Marcos Jr.,” the pollster said.

Marcos was most trusted in Balance Luzon and least trusted in Mindanao–the bailiwick of his friend turned foe, Vice President Sara Duterte.

While his trust ratings remained stable, the president suffered decline across all regions, which was different from Duterte.

In a chance interview on Tuesday, April 29, Marcos said his latest ratings continue to inspire him “because it shows that we’re making progress.”

The same survey showed 59% of respondents were satisfied with Marcos’ performance, five percentage points lower than his previous rating.

“It just validates what we are doing, that people are beginning to understand what we have been trying to do for the past two and a half, almost three years,” he said.

Meanwhile, Duterte gained nine percentage points nationwide, with her trust ratings jumping from 49% to 58%.

Duterte’s ratings were up in all regions, especially in Metro Manila and Luzon where she secured a double digit increase.

Distrust for Duterte also declined by 9 percentage points, from 28% to 9%. Marcos’ distrust ratings, meanwhile, increased by 11 points from 12% to 23%.

The survey was held months after the vice president was impeached by the House of Representatives in February over supposed betrayal of public trust and graft and corruption, among others.

It was also conducted after the government surrendered her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, to the International Criminal Court in March.

A total of 1,200 respondents participated in the survey, which has a ±3% margin of error.