Public trust in Duterte falls to new low in 2nd quarter – SWS

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Public trust in President Rodrigo Duterte fell to its lowest in June, according to a Social Weather Stations survey released on Friday, September 7.

The Second Quarter 2018 Social Weather Survey, held from June 27 to 30, showed that the net trust rating of Duterte dipped by 8 points to +57 from +65 in March, both classified as “very good.”

In the June survey, 70% of Filipinos said they have much trust in the President, 18% were undecided, and 13% said they had little trust in him. 

The survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adults nationwide.

This is the lowest net trust rating of Duterte as Chief Executive, so far. The second lowest was in September 2017, when it was at +60.

The SWS said the 8-point drop in Duterte’s net trust rating was “due to declines in the Visayas and Metro Manila, combined with steady scores in Mindanao and Balance Luzon,” SWS said.

The sharpest drop in net trust in Duterte was in the Visayas, where it fell by two grades from excellent to good, down by 21 points to +49 (68% satisfied, 19% dissatisfied) in June from +70 (80% satisfied, 10% dissatisfied) in March.

It fell by one grade from very good to good in Metro Manila, down by 20 points to +42 (61% satisfied, 19% dissatisfied) in June from +62 (74% much trust, 12% little trust) in March.

Duterte’s trust rating stayed excellent in Mindanao at +88 in June from +89 in March, and stayed very good in Balance Luzon though lower by 3 points to +50 from +53.

SWS first polled Filipinos on their trust for Duterte when he was a presidential candidate in December 2015. At the time, his net trust rating was +16, then fell to +13 in January 2016, but slowly rose in succeeding surveys.

His highest net trust rating of +79 was in June, days before he assumed the presidency.

The survey was conducted a few days after Duterte called God stupid, drawing criticism from Catholic Church leaders and Evangelical churches. 

The SWS classifies its net satisfaction ratings as follows:

• +70 and above – excellent
• +50 to +69 – very good
• +30 to +49 – good
• +10 to +29 – moderate
• +9 to -9 – neutral
• -10 to -29 – poor
• -30 to -49 – bad
• -50 to -69 – very bad
• -70 and below – execrable

The sampling error margin for national percentages is ±3%, and ±6% for regional percentages.

In July, the SWS released the results of a survey, also held from June 27 to 30, showing Duterte’s public satisfaction rating falling to a new low.  – Rappler.com