Duterte keeps ‘excellent’ trust rating —SWS poll

President Rodrigo Duterte has maintained an “excellent” trust rating from Filipinos, the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed.

Results of the first quarter SWS polls for this year, which was released Saturday night, showed that 80 percent of adult Filipinos have “much trust” in the President, while 11 percent are undecided, and 10 percent with “little trust.”

This gives Duterte an “excellent” +70 net trust rating, “similar” to the +72 he got in December 2016, and consistent under the said grade since he was elected President, the SWS said.

The non-commissioned survey was conducted from March 25 to 28, using face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adult Filipinos nationwide.

It had a sampling error margin of ±3 percent, and ±6 each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, where SWS got 300 respondents each.

Duterte’s trust rating came out about a month since the SWS released satisfaction results, which showed that the President maintained his “very good” satisfaction rating during the same period.

'Excellent' in urban areas, Metro Manila

While he saw a six-point decline in both Balance Luzon and Visayas, the President’s net trust rating rose by one grade, from “very good” to “excellent,” in Metro Manila, where he is now up by nine points to +74.

His net trust rating remains “excellent” in urban areas, at +72, but fell by three points and one grade—from “excellent” to “very good”—in rural areas, with +68.

Among classes, his net rating rose from “very good” to “excellent” in ABC, where it is up by 16 points to +75. He got an “excellent” +71 in Class D, or the so-called “masa,” but lost eight points, to a “very good” +64 in Class E.

Net trust for Duterte is higher among men, who gave him an “excellent” +73. He got a “very good” +67 from women.

Meanwhile, the President saw a rise in trust from among 45 to 54-year-olds, where his net trust rose by 11 points, to +76.

He still enjoys an “excellent” grade in the 18-24, 35-44, and 25-34 years brackets, where he got +76, +75, and +70, respectively. Meanwhile, those 55 years and older gave him a “very good” +60 net trust rating.

Net trust for the President is still “excellent” among college graduates (+79) and high school graduates (+76), while it is at “very good” among elementary graduates (+64) and “non-elementary graduates” (+59).

Most trusted leader

In a statement on Sunday, Malacañang boasted that Duterte “continues to be the most trusted national leader today,” as he leads “change” in the country.

“His net trust rating has been excellent for four consecutive quarters, considering the deeply entrenched culture of illegal drugs, criminality and corruption,” presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said.

With this, the Palace urged the public “to be vigilant and engaged partners in active pursuit of change.”

“The resistance to change in Philippine society has been breached by President Duterte; with him we are assured that the interests of the Filipino people come first and last,” Abella said. —ALG, GMA News