MANILA (Updated) -- President Rodrigo Duterte has started his stint as the country's 16th leader with nearly all Filipinos trusting him, according to the latest survey released by pollster Pulse Asia.
The survey, conducted from July 2 to 8, showed that “no one” distrusts the President, as 91 percent have trust in him. Only eight percent are ambivalent whether they trust him or not.
“President Rodrigo Duterte begins his stint as the country’s 16th president with an overwhelming majority of his constituents expressing trust in him (91 percent) and practically no one distrusting him,” Pulse Asia said.
Eighty-four percent of 1,200 respondents have "much trust" with Duterte, five percent have "little trust" in him, while 11 percent were undecided.
The President earned the highest trust score in his bailiwick in Mindanao, with 97 percent. He also received majority trust ratings in Manila (92 percent), Luzon (89 percent), and Visayas (89 percent).
Duterte posted highest trust score in Class D and E, with both 92 percent, and was followed by Class ABC with 89 percent.
In a statement, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar expressed gratitude over the survey results and vowed that the President would continue to serve the country to make it more productive.
Andanar said the record-high trust score is “a humbling reminder that the genuine and meaningful change that our people aspire for is now being felt.”
"We thank the Filipino people for their overwhelming support to the governance of President Rodrigo Duterte,” Andanar said.
"This expression of confidence, therefore, shall serve as an inspiration to Duterte administration to continuously make a real difference to make our people’s lives better, safer, and healthier," he added.
'62% trust Robredo'
A "sizable majority" of Filipinos meanwhile trusts Vice President Leni Robredo with 62 percent trust her, 11 percent distrust her, while 27 percent were ambivalent.
Pulse Asia president Ronald Holmes said most Filipinos, regardless of geographic location and socio-economic status, say they trust Robredo.
Garnering a 62 percent from the 1 percent in the pre-election survey, the Vice President expressed her wholehearted gratitude to the Filipino people from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
"We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from our fellow Filipinos. From 1 percent in the pre-election surveys to 35.1 percent—and now, a trust rating of 62 percent," she said.
"Thank you all for your vote of confidence; it is because of you and for you that we are in this position," she added.
Robredo said it is high time that public servants buckle down to work as she expressed belief that the people want results and development for the country.
"Let us all work together toward a unified country that continues to move toward development and peace," Robredo said.
Robredo obtained her highest trust rating in the Visayas (72 percent), followed by the National Capital Region (65 percent), Mindanao (61 percent), and Luzon (58 percent).
Across socioeconomic classes, the vice president posted the highest rating from respondents belonging to Class D (64 percent), followed by those from Class E (61 percent) and Class ABC (53 percent).
Around 1,200 respondents had been interviewed, using a ± 3 percent error margin at the 95 percent confidence level.
Subnational estimates for Manila, the rest of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, have a ± 6 percent error margin, also at 95 percent confidence level. (Sunnex)