DESPITE her ongoing impeachment trial, the majority of Filipinos seem to be satisfied with the performance of Vice President Sara Duterte, according to a recent survey.
The survey, conducted by public opinion and data science firm Momentum Research on Aug. 18 to 23, also showed a continuing dissatisfaction with the efforts of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in dealing with corruption in his government.
The survey found that 57.4 percent of the respondents disapproved of Marcos’ performance, with a slight increase among those dissatisfied with him.
Duterte’s performance had a 61.3-percent approval rating, a 3-percent increase. Those who disapprove of her are at 27.7 percent, which even declined by 5 percentage points.
Political science professor Associate Dennis Coronacion noted as striking Duterte’s consistent strong showing in the survey despite the impeachment trial.
Many political scientists had thought the presentation of evidence in the trial would dent her public image, Coronacion said.
He attributed Duterte’s rating to several factors, including the supposed failure of the current administration to address problems such as corruption, the unemployment rate and inflation.
“Many people think that all of these national problems are caused by the president,” Coronacion said in an interview with reporters during the release of the survey results on Friday.
With the breakup of the Marcos-Duterte’s UniTeam after the 2022 elections, the vice president has positioned herself as the “opposition,” Coronacion said.
“Yung mga [Those who are] dissatisfied with the Marcos administration, they then see the vice president as the alternative leader. That can be another factor,” he said.
In a presidential form of government, failures and crises are always blamed by the public on the president, Coronacion said.
