Pulse Asia: Duterte’s performance, trust ratings decline 

President Rodrigo Duterte’s performance and trust ratings both declined in March, results of the recent Pulse Asia survey showed.

The poll conducted from March 15 to 20 showed Duterte’s performance rating slide by five percentage points, from 83 percent in December 2016, to 78 percent. 

His trust ratings decreased by seven percentage points, also from 83 percent in December last year, to 76 percent in March.

The survey was conducted during the week that the first impeachment complaint against Duterte was filed in the House of Representatives.

Among the basis of impeachment complaint filed by Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano on March 16 are culpable violation of the constitution, bribery, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, and other high crimes.

Among the other events leading up to the survey are the public confession of retired Davao City cop Arturo Lascañas on the so-called Davao Death Squad, the release of a video message sent by Vice President Leni Robredo to the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs revealing alleged police abuses, and the arrest of Senator Leila de Lima over drug-related charges.

Across geographical areas, Duterte got his highest performance and trust ratings in Mindanao, with 88 percent and 90 percent, respectively.

Pulse Asia noted that the “ambivalence concerning the President’s work and trustworthiness is most marked in the rest of Luzon” with 20 percent and 27 percent, respectively.

Trust dropped among poor

Across socio-economic classes, Duterte obtained an increase of 17 percentage points in Class ABC, from 69 percent in December 2016 to 86 percent in March in his performance rating. His trust rating for Class ABC also increased by 12 percentage points from 72 percent in December 2016 to 84 percent in March.

Duterte’s trust rating from Class E, meanwhile, dropped by 11 points, from 85 percent in December last year to 74 percent in March.

Pulse Asia, however, noted that these movements are “considered marginal.”

“Even the double-digit movements in the latter’s performance ratings in Class ABC and in his trust ratings in the rest of Luzon as well as in Classes ABC and E are considered marginal as they fall within the relevant error margins for these subgroupings,” it said.

The survey conducted using face-to-face interviews has a sample of 1,200 representative adults 18 years old and above. It had a ± 3 percent error margin at the 95 percent confidence level.

Subnational estimates for each of the geographic areas meanwhile have a ± 6 percent error margin, also at 95 percent confidence level. —Kathrina Charmaine Alvarez/ALG, GMA News