Public Sentiment Shifts: Marcos Up Slightly, Duterte Support Wanes – Pulse Asia Survey

By Sherman Calotes | Philippine People's Press 

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. experienced a modest increase in public trust in May, according to the latest “Pulso ng Bayan” survey released by Pulse Asia Research Inc., while Vice President Sara Duterte saw a notable decline in her trust rating over the same period.

The survey, conducted from May 6 to 9, 2025, among 1,200 registered voters nationwide, showed that President Marcos’ trust rating rose to 32 percent up by three percentage points from 29 percent in April. Correspondingly, his distrust rating declined slightly from 45 percent to 42 percent.

Meanwhile, Vice President Duterte’s trust score slipped to 50 percent, reflecting a significant seven-point drop from 57 percent recorded in April. Her distrust rating also increased, rising to 25 percent in May compared to 18 percent the previous month.

Despite the downward trend, Duterte continues to command a higher overall trust rating than Marcos, although both remain within the survey’s ±2.8 percentage point margin of error.

Regional Trends Show Sharp Contrasts

Regional data reveal contrasting dynamics in public sentiment toward the country’s two highest officials.

In Metro Manila, both Marcos and Duterte enjoyed identical 10-point surges in trust  from 32 percent in April to 42 percent in May.

In Luzon, President Marcos gained ground with a seven-point increase (from 34 percent to 41 percent), while Duterte’s trust level declined by eight points, falling to 29 percent from 37 percent.

Visayas painted a more challenging picture for the Vice President. While Marcos' numbers remained relatively stable, sliding just one point (39% to 38%), Duterte’s support plunged by a staggering 24 points from 70 percent in April to just 46 percent in May.

Mindanao, traditionally Duterte’s stronghold, continued to show overwhelming support for the Vice President. Her trust rating climbed to 97 percent, up by two points from 95 percent in April. President Marcos, however, experienced a steep drop in the same region, plummeting from 10 percent to just 3 percent.

Rodrigo Duterte's Trust Remains High Despite ICC Case

The survey also gauged public trust in former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is currently in the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands. The elder Duterte, facing charges of crimes against humanity over his administration’s war on drugs, retained relatively high trust levels with a 63 percent rating in May down by a marginal one point from 64 percent in April. His distrust rating rose slightly to 17 percent from 15 percent.

Survey Methodology

Pulse Asia’s "Pulso ng Bayan" survey is conducted using face-to-face interviews with a nationwide sample of 1,200 respondents. The survey has a ±2.8% margin of error at the national level and ±5.7% for geographic areas.

For more details, visit https://pulseasia.ph

- Philippine People's Press | In Truth We Prevail