Pulse: Sara approval, trust ratings higher than Marcos

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December 31, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte has again obtained higher approval and trust ratings than President Marcos, the fourth quarter survey conducted by Pulse Asia showed.

Results of the Dec. 12 to 15 survey, released yesterday, found that the ratings of the country’s two highest officials remained essentially unchanged from the previous quarter.

Marcos obtained an approval rating of 34 percent, up from 33 percent in September 2025, while his disapproval rating increased from 44 percent to 48 percent.

Those who were undecided decreased from 23 percent to 18 percent.

In terms of trust, Marcos obtained a rating of 32 percent, down from 34 percent in the previous survey.

Forty-seven percent said they distrust the President, up from 45 percent, while those who were undecided remained at 21 percent.

Duterte, meanwhile, obtained a majority approval rating of 56 percent, almost similar to the 55 percent she obtained in the September 2025 survey.

Twenty-four percent disapproved of her performance, up from 22 percent, while 20 percent were undecided, down from 24 percent.

Her trust rating slightly declined from 56 percent to 54 percent, while those who distrusted her increased from 21 percent to 24 percent.

Some 22 percent were undecided, almost similar with the 23 percent in the previous survey.

Across areas, Marcos obtained his highest approval ratings among respondents in balance Luzon at 51 percent.

Only seven percent approved of the President in Mindanao.

Like in previous polls, the Vice President obtained approval and trust ratings of 95 percent and 95 percent, respectively, in her bailiwick Mindanao.

Pulse Asia’s fourth quarter survey had 1,200 respondents and a margin of error of plus/minus 2.8 percent.

‘Normal 4th quarter’

Marcos and Duterte’s ratings showed no substantial movement in December despite political controversies and protests in recent months, Pulse Asia president Ronald Holmes yesterday.
Speaking on “Storycon” on One News, Holmes said the survey showed changes of only two to three percentage points compared with September, which he described as statistically insignificant.

“This is normal for a fourth quarter survey,” he said, noting that public opinion tends to be more tempered toward the end of the year, especially with the holiday season approaching.

Holmes added that ratings usually shift only when there is a clear deterioration in people’s material conditions.

He said Marcos’ approval had recovered slightly from its lowest point in March 2025, but remained weak, with about a third approving and a majority disapproving of his performance.

Holmes said disapproval of the President rose to 53 percent, while distrust increased by 13 points from September.
He said economic issues continue to dominate public concerns, citing inflation, wages, jobs and poverty as four of the top five urgent concerns identified in the survey.

Corruption, Holmes added, remained a concern, but showed only a minimal decline.
He said a noticeable shift came from previously undecided respondents, some of whom moved to disapproval of both the President and the Vice President.
Still, Holmes said about two out of 10 Filipinos remain undecided on their assessment of the country’s top two officials.

On Duterte, he said her approval and trust ratings have largely held steady since March, with stronger support in the Visayas, where about seven in 10 respondents said they approve of and trust her performance.

Holmes said congressional investigations and budget hearings had contributed to an earlier erosion of her ratings, but these have since stabilized.
He said any renewed impeachment move against the Vice President could affect public opinion, depending on her response and the evidence presented.

“If something is proven to be illegal, then accountability follows,” Holmes said, adding that Filipinos tend to accept impeachment outcomes when evidence is clearly established.
He said it remains unlikely that Marcos would face impeachment, citing his supermajority support in the House of Representatives and control over budget releases, while noting that public sentiment could still shift depending on future developments, particularly in early 2026 surveys.

Survey is a ‘guide’

Marcos was undeterred by the results of the survey, even as Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro attributed the negative public sentiment to the administration’s intensified anti-corruption drive.

“The ratings serve as a guide for the administration, but whatever the results, high or low, will not affect the President and his work, especially in curbing or eliminating corruption,” Castro said in Filipino

“If the reason for the drop in the President’s rating is his move to investigate those involved in anomalous flood control projects... the President would not mind the drop because it is the right decision even if it’s not a popular one,” she said. — Mark Ernest Villeza, Helen Flores