Vice President Sara Duterte gestures during a press briefing at the Cybergate building in Mandaluyong City on September 25, 2024. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

MANILA (UPDATED) — Vice President Sara Duterte suffered a significant decline in her national ratings but still enjoys the approval and trust of the majority of Filipinos, according to a survey by Pulse Asia released Monday, or on the eve of the filing of certificates of candidacy for 2025 midterm elections.

Duterte's approval rating in the Pulse Asia survey is down to 60 in September from 69 in June. Her trust rating in the latest poll also dipped; From 71 percent in June, it is now 61 percent.

Pulse Asia President Ronald Holmes told ABS-CBN News that the decline in Duterte's ratings is "statistically significant," although a majority of Filipinos still trust and approve of her performance.

Duterte's budget woes, including the controversial proposed P10 million budget for her children's book "Isang Kaibigan," have hurt her trust and approval ratings, specifically in Metro Manila and Balance Luzon, Holmes said.

He added that although Duterte's approval rating in Visayas "significantly" fell by 9 percentage points, she still has strong approval rating there, which is at 71.

By social class, Holmes noted that Duterte's major loss is in Class D or "masa", which accounts for the majority of the population. He said the movement should be watched closely.

Political analyst Edmund Tayao said he believes Duterte's numbers were hurt by her own actions.

"The significant drop in the case of the vice president may likely be, actually not likely, but most probably because of the many pronouncements and the many actions taken by the vice president recently," Tayao told ANC's "Dateline Philippines."

READ: 'Bakit mo ako kinu-crucify?' Sara Duterte spars with House members as budget hearing turns personal

READ: ‘Hindi ako bratinella’: Sara Duterte says ‘spoiled brat’ tag part of political attack 

MARCOS, ROMUALDEZ RATINGS 'CONSTANT'

The latest opinion poll also showed that Duterte's numbers are higher than President Ferdinand Marcos' approval and trust ratings, which both stand at 50 percent. Marcos' approval and trust ratings in June were 53 and 52, respectively. 

The president's June-September numbers are considered "essentially constant," according to Pulse Asia, which is also the case for House Speaker Martin Romualdez, who has approval and trust ratings of 32 and 31, respectively, in the latest poll. 

Indecision is the plurality opinion concerning the work and trustworthiness of Romualdez, the poll also showed.

RELATED: Marcos' approval, trust ratings slightly down ahead of SONA

ESCUDERO ALSO ENJOYS MAJORITY SCORES, THANKS COLLEAGUES AT SENATE

Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero, meanwhile, joined the vice president in getting majority national scores. The senator has a 60 percent approval rating and 56 percent trust rating in the September survey.

In a statement, Escudero credited his colleagues for his high ratings, thanking "the people for recognizing the work being done here in the Senate."

"My commitment as Senate President is to ensure the Senate continues to work for the people—passing legislation to make the lives of our people easier, help us move faster and make our people’s burdens lighter," he said.

Holmes pointed out that the Senate President's ratings are influenced by how the chamber performs.

The survey was conducted from September 6 to 13 or amid the highly publicized congressional hearings on the budget of the Office of the Vice President, which saw Duterte parrying with some lawmakers questioning her proposed budget and her confidential fund use.

During the period, the House of Representatives was also conducting its investigation into the alleged abuses under the administration of Sara Duterte's father, former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Other news developments in the weeks leading up to and during the conduct of the Pulse Asia survey were the arrest of Apollo Quiboloy, the controversial fugitive pastor close to the Duterte family; the congressional hearings into dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo and her purported ties to crime-infested offshore gaming hubs; the "public backlash" over the food poverty threshold released by the National Economic and Development Authority; and the decline in headline inflation.

The latest Pulse Asia survey has a sample size of 2,400 and a ±2 percent margin of error.

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