PRESIDENT Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s approval and trust ratings took a sharp downturn in the first quarter of 2025, while Vice President Sara Duterte saw an increase in support, according to the Pahayag First Quarter Survey (PQ1-2025) conducted from March 15 to 20. The survey results, released on March 28 by Publicus Asia Inc., highlight shifting public sentiment amid growing political and economic concerns.
PQ1-2025 is an independent, non-commissioned survey based on a purposive sampling of 1,500 registered Filipino voters. The respondents were randomly selected from a research panel of over 200,000 maintained by the Singapore office of PureSpectrum, a US-based panel marketplace with a multinational presence.
The survey divided respondents across five regions: National Capital Region (NCR) with 238 participants, North-Central Luzon (NCL) with 327, South Luzon (SL) with 354, Visayas (VIS) with 287, and Mindanao (MIN) with 294. The national margin of error is ±3 percent.
Around 80 percent of respondents are between 18 and 49 years old, have a college education, identify as Catholic, and are employed. Nearly half are single or unmarried, and at least one family member in almost half of the households is an overseas Filipino worker (OFW). The average household consists of five members, with three to four registered voters who participated in the last three election cycles. Almost all respondents have internet access and own or use a mobile phone.
Marcos' approval ratings saw a steep decline, dropping from 33 percent in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2024 to just 19 percent in Q1 2025, with 57 percent disapproving and 24 percent remaining neutral. Meanwhile, Vice President Sara Duterte’s approval ratings climbed from 37 percent in Q4 to 42 percent, with 37 percent disapproving and 21 percent neutral.
"VP Sara’s big gain is driven by NCL and MIN, while PBBM’s drop is driven by all regions and segments," the survey noted.
Beyond ongoing concerns over corruption and inflation, the survey indicates that Marcos Jr.'s decision to assist in serving the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) warrant of arrest against former President Rodrigo Duterte (FPRRD) has significantly affected his performance, particularly in Mindanao, where many expressed strong disapproval.
FPRRD was arrested at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on March 11, 2025, and transported to The Hague, Netherlands, to face charges of alleged crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Approval ratings for other top officials also dipped. Senate President Chiz Escudero's approval rating fell from 37 percent to 31 percent, with 33 percent disapproving and 31 percent neutral. House Speaker Martin Romualdez saw his rating drop from 20 percent to 14 percent, with 56 percent disapproving and 23 percent neutral. Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo’s approval rating declined from 25 percent to 20 percent, with 22 percent disapproving and 38 percent neutral.
Trust ratings followed a similar trend, mirroring the decline in approval ratings—except for Duterte, who remained an outlier in the growing dissatisfaction toward national leadership.
Marcos' trust rating fell from 23 percent in Q4 to 14 percent in Q1 2025, with 63 percent expressing low or no trust and 23 percent holding moderate trust. In contrast, Duterte’s trust rating rose from 31 percent to 39 percent, with 39 percent expressing low or no trust and 21 percent holding moderate trust.
Trust ratings for other key officials also declined in the latest survey. Senate Escudero’s trust rating slipped to 22 percent from 26 percent, with 38 percent of respondents expressing low or no trust and 35 percent maintaining moderate trust.
Romualdez saw an even steeper drop, falling from 13 percent to just 10 percent, while 61 percent of respondents reported low or no trust, and 23 percent remained moderately trusting.
Gesmundo’s trust rating also edged downward from 17 percent to 16 percent, with 30 percent expressing low or no trust and 35 percent holding moderate trust. MLSA