SUPPORT for President Rodrigo Duterte slipped in all regions except in Luzon but he maintained his “excellent” trust rating, the Social Weather Stations fourth quarter report showed.
The survey, conducted among 1,500 respondents, showed that 81 percent of Filipinos expressed “much trust” in Duterte, less than six months into the presidency while nine percent said that they have “little trust” in his leadership. Another 10 percent remained undecided.
While maintaining an “excellent” +72 trust rating, Duterte slipped four points from his +76 score in the third quarter survey.
Duterte’s trust ratings continued to slip from a +79 in the survey conducted days before his inauguration on June 30.
The drop in Duterte’s trust rating declined in major geographic regions—Metro Manila, the Visayas and Mindanao despite his steady score in the Balance Luzon.
Most significant was a 11-point drop in Metro Manila from +76 in September to +65 in December.
It also fell by a grade and four points in the Visayas from an “excellent” +73 in September to a “very good”+69 by December.
In his home region, the President’s trust rating in Mindanao stayed “excellent” but slipped seven points from September’s +92 to a +85 in December.
His rating in Balance Luzon was “very good” at +69 in December from September.
Support for Duterte stayed excellent in urban areas with +73 this December, but support in rural areas slipped to +71 from +77.
The Palace shrugged off any slip in public support, saying the President still received an overall “excellent” rating.
“We thank the Filipino people for the continued trust. Net public confidence in the President stays excellent at +72 during the fourth quarter,” Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said.
Andanar said that the continued trust given on the President is a testament of the people’s firm belief in him and his presidency, particularly his agenda of ridding society of illegal drugs, crime, and corruption.
“This gives the President and members of his team all the more reason to pursue with greater resolve the President’s goal of a Philippine free from the drug scourge, crime incidents, and malfeasance in public service,” he added.
The fourth quarter survey, conducted from December 3-6, has a ±3 sampling margin of error for national percentages.