THE approval ratings of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio experienced “significant erosions” in the third quarters of the year, according to a poll conducted by Pulse Asia.
Pulse Asia said Marcos' approval rating decreased from 80 percent in June 2023 to 65 percent in September, while that of Duterte’s went down from 84 to 73 percent.
It said, though, that the two top leaders of the country still continue to enjoy majority approval ratings at the national level and across geographic areas and socio-economic classes.
The poll body also noted that the trust rating of Marcos and Duterte rolled down to 71 and 75 percent, respectively, in September, from 85 and 87 percent, respectively in June.
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri got 50 percent approval ratings in the latest poll, House Speaker Martin Romualdez got 41 percent, and Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo with 34 percent.
Zubiri’s trust ratings stood at 49 percent; Romualdez, 38 percent; and Gesmundo, 33 percent.
A total of 1,200 from across the country took part in the survey, which was conducted from September 10 to 14. It has a ±2.8 percent error margin.
The poll was conducted while the Congress is deliberating on the proposed P5.768 trillion budget for fiscal year 2024.
Among the controversial allotments under the proposed budget are the P5.77 billion for intelligence funds and P4.864 for confidential funds.
The country’s inflation also shot up again in August at 5.3 percent following a seven consecutive month decrease.
The Philippines is also experiencing a surge in the price of rice, a staple food in the Filipino families’ table. (SunStar Philippines)
