Pulse Asia: Duterte's approval rating up to 72%

President Rodrigo Duterte approval rating increased to 72%, the latest Pulse Asia survey showed.

Duterte's approval in the poll conducted from December 1 to 6 went up from the 64% he got in the survey done in September.

Vice President Leni Robredo's approval went down to 43% in December from 48% in September.

Senate President Tito Sotto enjoyed a 71% approval in December while Speaker Lord Allan Velasco and Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo has identical 31% ratings.

Pulse Asia said its nationwide survey was based on a sample of 2,400 representative adults 18 years old and above.

It has a ± 2% error margin at the 95% confidence level.

Weeks before the December 2021 survey, Pulse Asia said news were mostly related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the May 2022 polls.

Here are the following news that hogged the headlines before and during the interviews for the survey:

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte's withdrawal for reelection and filing certificate of candidacy for vice presidency, running alongside former senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., son of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

Duterte's allegations that a certain presidential candidate used cocaine also hogged the headlines. This accusation prompted some presidential aspirants to show negative drug test results to prove they are not using narcotics.

Several petitions for disqualification of Marcos' presidential bid also dominated the headlines.

As for the COVID-19 pandemic, cases have continued to decline while more Filipinos got inoculated against the severe respiratory disease.

To prevent vaccination hesitancy, the Department of the Interior and Local Government proposed that unvaccinated 4Ps recipients will not receive cash aid, which Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said could not be implemented without amending the law.

The  Philippines, meanwhile, imposed a travel ban on South Africa and other countries which detected the Omicron coronavirus variant. —NB, GMA News