- PBBM ratings drops
- Romualdez is lowest
By Ivy Tejano
DAVAO CITY – Vice President Sara Z. Duterte has regained public approval and trust, based on recent survey results by Publicus Asia, Inc.
The Pahayag First Quarter Survey 2025, from March 15 to 20, released on March 28, indicated a significant shift in public perception, with Vice President Duterte’s ratings seeing a notable rise, while President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and House Speaker Martin Romualdez experienced declines in approval and trust.
The vice president’s approval rating climbed from 37 to 42 percent, with her disapproval remaining at 37 percent. Meanwhile, Marcos’s approval rating plunged from 33 to 19 percent, with disapproval increasing to 57 percent.
Similarly, trust in Vice President Duterte grew from 31 to 39 percent, while distrust remained steady at 39 percent. In contrast, Marcos’ trust rating fell from 23 to 14 percent, with 63 percent of respondents expressing distrust.
According to Publicus Asia, these shifts in public sentiment come amid the controversy about the vice president’s impeachment and former President Rodrigo Duterte’s detention at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.
Former President Duterte 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 ICC.
Aside from persistent issues related to corruption and inflation, the survey said that the president’s choice to support the enforcement of the ICC arrest warrant against the elder Duterte has significantly impacted his approval ratings, particularly in Mindanao.
“National Capital Region and Mindanao drive Vice President Duterte’s big gain, while all regions and segments drive Marcos’s drop,” the survey said.
In addition to that, Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero’s approval rating declined from 37 to 31 percent, with disapproval at 33 percent, while Romualdez’s rating slipped from 20 to 14 percent.
Romualdez experienced a sharper decline, decreasing his rating from 13 to 10 percent. Meanwhile, 61 percent of respondents expressed little to no trust in him, while 23 percent maintained a moderate confidence level.
Similarly, Gesmundo’s trust rating saw a slight dip from 17 to 16 percent, with 30 percent of respondents indicating low or no trust and 35 percent expressing moderate trust.
Publicus Asia pointed out that approval ratings of key government officials reflect national sentiment, with most leaders facing waning public support.
The survey also attributed Marcos’s declining approval to political, economic, and social issues. It said that rising discontent stems from concerns over governance, inflation, and the administration’s stance on the ICC’s investigation of Duterte.
Based on the survey, economic challenges and growing uncertainty about the country’s future—especially in Visayas and Mindanao—have further fueled dissatisfaction.
The political division between factions aligned with Marcos and Duterte has intensified the administration’s struggles, highlighting the urgent need to restore public confidence.
Pahayag First Quarter Survey is an independent study that any group did not commission. It utilized purposive sampling, drawing responses from 1,500 registered Filipino voters.
The participants were randomly chosen from a research panel of over 200,000 individuals, managed by PureSpectrum’s Singapore — a U.S.-based panel marketplace that operates on a global scale.
