Pulse Asia: Marcos gets higher disapproval, distrust ratings than Sara Duterte

Majority of Filipinos expressed distrust over the performance of President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. while Vice President Sara Duterte continues to enjoy high trust ratings, a Pulse Asia survey released Tuesday showed. 

In a media release, Pulse Asia said that ''the Vice-President continues to enjoy small majority approval and trust ratings in December 2025 (56% and 54%, respectively) while the plurality sentiments toward the President are disapproval for his quarterly performance and distrust in him (48% and 47%, respectively).''

The survey results showed that public sentiment toward the two highest ranking elected officials’ work and trustworthiness remains essentially unchanged between September 2025 and December 2025. 

The poll firm said the survey results indicated that almost half of Filipino adults (48%) were critical of the work done by Marcos in the previous quarter while a little over a third of adults were appreciative of the same (34%). 

On the other hand, more than half of the adult population (56%) has a positive assessment of Duterte's performance while around a quarter (24%) disapproved of her work. 

The top national government officials have around the same national indecision figures (18% for Marcos and 20% for Duterte), the Pulse Asia said. 

Across geographic and socioeconomic subgroupings, the only majority approval rating of Marcos was recorded in the rest of Luzon (51%) while disapproval was the prevailing sentiment in Metro Manila (53%), the Visayas (62%), Mindanao (85%), and Class E (60%).

Appreciation for the Vice-President’s performance was expressed by most Visayans (68%), Mindanawons (95%), and those belonging to either Class D (57%) or Class E (61%). Duterte posted the same approval and disapproval scores in Metro Manila and Class C (44% to 48% versus 34% to 36%) while there was a three-way split in the rest of Luzon (35% approval, 30% indecision, and 35% disapproval). 

The survey fieldwork was conducted from December 12 to 15, 2025 using face-to-face interviews. 

This nationwide survey is based on a sample of 1,200 representative adults or those 18 years old and above. It has a ± 2.8% error margin at the 95% confidence level. 

Asked for reaction to the survey results, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said that while the figures served as guide for the administration, these do not necessarily affect the President.

''Ang ratings ay magsisilbing guide sa administrasyon pero anuman ang resulta nito, mataas o mababa, ay hindi makakaapekto kay Pangulo at sa kanyang tuloy-tuloy na pagtatrabaho lalo na sa pagsugpo o pagkitil sa korapsyon,'' Castro said.

(Ratings serve as a guide for the administration but whatever the result is, the President will not be affected and he will continue his job in fighting corruption.) 

She also said that if the trust decline was due to the investigation into anomalies, Castro maintained that Marcos was doing the right thing.

''Alam ng Pangulo na maaapektuhan ang kanyang administrasyon pero tinuloy ang pagpapaimbestiga para sa bayan at para sa mamamayan,'' Castro said.

(The President knows that his administration will be affected by this probe but he continued it for the welfare of the nation and the public.) 

''Mataas nga ang rating ng Bise Presidente, pero may resulta na ba ang pag-iiimbestiga sa kanyang confidential funds na marami sa kanyang mga kaalyado ay hinaharang pa,'' she added.

(The Vice President's rating was high but is there already a result of the investigation about her confidential funds, which were being blocked by her allies.) 

GMA News Online reached out to Duterte's camp for comment and will publish it once available.—AOL, GMA Integrated News