PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte remained the most approved and most trusted government official government official, based on the December survey by pollster Pulse Asia.
The President earned approval and trust scores of 80 percent and 82 percent, respectively, based on Pulse Asia's survey conducted from December 10 to 15 last year.
Pulse Asia found that only seven percent "disapproved" Duterte's performance while six percent had "small or no trust" in him.
Duterte enjoyed the highest approval score of 93 percent in his bailiwick in Mindanao. It was followed by Visayas (86 percent), Manila (79 percent), and Luzon (72 percent).
He also secured high approval ratings in Classes ABC (77 percent), D (79 percent), and E (85 percent).
The poll also showed that Duterte's trust rating was highest in Mindanao (94 percent), followed by Visayas (86 percent), Manila (79 percent), and Luzon (74 percent).
Duterte's trust scores were also high in Classes ABC (78 percent), D (80 percent), and E (85 percent).
Apart from Duterte, Pulse Asia said two other high-ranking officials, Vice President Leni Robredo and Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, also enjoyed high approval and trust scores at the national level.
Robredo posted a 59-percent approval score and 58-percent trust score while Pimentel obtained approval and trust ratings of 57 percent and 53 percent, respectively.
Pulse Asia, on the other hand, noted that "indecision" remains the plurality sentiment toward House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez's performance as he got approval and trust scores of only 42 percent and 37 percent, respectively.
In the case of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, Pulse Asia said "ambivalence" is the plurality sentiment toward her performance, as she received only 31-percent approval rating and 27-percent trust rating.
In a press conference, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said the executive department welcomed the poll results, which showed that the Filipinos "are aware of and recognized the significant strides that the President undertook in his one year and a half month in office."
Roque assured the public that the President would continue to fulfill his mandate to stamp out criminality, illegal drugs, and corruption in the country.
"Pulse Asia released its last quarter survey on approval and trust ratings of the President. The President received the highest approval at 80 percent and highest trust level at 82 percent among the country's top five national officials," Roque said.
"We assure our people that he will continue to discharge his duties with the nation's interest foremost in his mind. With that, we call on everyone to put this appreciation into action by standing as one and helping the government as we continue to address the problem of poverty, illegal drugs, criminality and corruption," he added.
Around 1,200 adult Filipinos were interviewed by Pulse Asia during the survey period, which had an error margin of ±3 percentage points at the 95-percent confidence level. Subnational estimates for each of Manila, the rest of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao have a ±6 percentage points error margin at 95 percent confidence level.
Among the issues that cropped up during the conduct of survey were the Congress' approval of Duterte's request to extend martial law until December 2018 and the Chief Executive's formal declaration to end the talks with the communists and brand them as terrorists. (SunStar Philippines)