Former President Rodrigo Duterte’s pre-election survey support has been declining but still substantive, according to Pulse Asia Research president Ronald Holmes.
Holmes also explained why the past chief executive only landed in the middle of the latest Pulse Asia Pre-Election Survey that was topped by broadcaster turned lawmaker Erwin Tulfo.
Holmes noted that Duterte has not announced his May 2025 election plans, which could be a factor in the dip.
He said that while support for Duterte dipped in Balance Luzon, the former president is “still generating about 3 out of 4 votes in Mindanao and that’s the reason why he’s there in terms of ranking tied from 4th to 9th.”
Holmes added that Duterte’s ratings would be “a level of support for someone who lands on 5th or 6th position in an actual election.”
Holmes believes Duterte’s electoral support is also taking a hit from the controversies hounding him, including alleged extrajudicial killings and alleged links to the illegal drug trade that House panels are holding hearings on.
“In this case that will have an effect, it’s just that we cannot measure as to what the effect is. The level of support that we’re seeing in terms of President Duterte is steadily declining from the first time that we included his name but it does not necessarily put him in the lower 6th,” he said.
The PAHAYAG 2024 Third Quarter survey meanwhile revealed a continuous downward trend in approval and trust ratings for key government officials and institutions across the country.
The overall performance of the Marcos administration including all his Cabinet members is viewed as less favorable this quarter at 46%, with the decline mainly driven by the National Capital Region (NCR) at 41% and supported by downtrends in other regions, especially in Mindanao at 40%.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has seen a slight decline in his approval rating, from 44% in PQ2-2024 to 43% in PQ3-2024, maintaining relative stability.
House Speaker Martin Romualdez and Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo also recorded dips, with Romualdez dropping from 27% to 25%, and Gesmundo slipping from 29% to 28% this quarter. Despite these fluctuations, the three leaders have somehow stabilized following earlier huge drops in Q1-2024.
In contrast, Vice President Sara Duterte and Senate President Francis Escudero faced sharper declines in approval ratings, with both Duterte and Escudero falling by 6% this quarter.
The downward trend extends to government agencies, with nearly all institutions experiencing a decline in approval ratings, especially in NCR.
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) remains the most approved government agency at 70%, followed by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at 65%, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) at 61%, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) at 60%, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) at 59%, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) at 57%, Department of Health (DOH) at 56%, Department of Tourism (DOT) at 56%, Civil Service Commission (CSC) at 55%, and Department of Education (DepEd) at 55%.
Trust ratings for the country’s top officials mirror their approval trends, with a general decline observed across the board. While President Marcos, Speaker Romualdez, and Chief Justice Gesmundo have stabilized since their significant drops in Q1-2024, overall trust ratings have reached new lows. Vice President Duterte and Senate President Escudero continue to struggle with trust issues, marking significant declines for the second consecutive quarter and, for Duterte, the third.
Similarly, trust ratings for government agencies are weakening, particularly in the NCR, reflecting a growing loss of faith closer to the nation’s political center. Despite that, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) remain the most trusted government agency at 53%, followed by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at 51%, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) at 47%, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) at 45%, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) at 45%, Department of Education (DEPED) at 44%, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) at 43%, Department of Health (DOH) at 42%, Supreme Court of the Philippines (SC) at 41% and Civil Service Commission (CSC) at 55%.
These trends reflect the growing concern among Filipinos over the performance and accountability of their leaders and institutions, as government officials and agencies face heightened pressure to regain public trust.
