At yearend 2025, more Filipinos trust Sara than Marcos

MANILA, Philippines – Even with corruption allegations against both top officials, more Filipinos approve of and trust Vice President Sara Duterte than President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., according to a December survey by Pulse Asia Research.

“The Vice-President continues to enjoy small majority approval and trust ratings in December 2025 while the plurality sentiments toward the President are disapproval for his quarterly performance and distrust in him,” read part of the Pulse Asia report.

Marcos registered a low 34% approval rating, and 32% trust rating, which is not much improvement from his record-low 33% approval rating in September right after the flood control scandal began. Although Marcos has taken the role of spokesperson for every development, even on those he has no control over like issuance of warrants of arrest, Marcos continued to suffer from low ratings.

Marcos’ disapproval rating is 48% and his distrust rating is 47%.

Meanwhile, Duterte recovered from her 35% approval rating in September to score a slim majority in December – 56% approval and 54% trust – despite being slapped with a plunder complaint earlier this month over the alleged corruption of confidential funds as vice president and former education secretary.

Marcos and Duterte, who ran and won together in the 2022 elections, have become the most bitter political rivals, reaching a peak when the Marcos administration sent former president Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague in March.

February is upcoming which is the Supreme Court-sanctioned proper time to file a new impeachment complaint against Duterte should her accusers want to try again. The SC earlier blocked the initial wave of complaints for improper filing, a decision widely slammed by the country’s legal community.

The survey results showed that Marcos was least trusted in December by respondents in the Visayas, Mindanao, and “Class E” (the poorest Filipinos), almost the exact opposite of Duterte, who received majority trust ratings in the Visayas, Mindanao, and “Classes D” and “E.”

In terms of score adjustments, Metro Manila, which is neither their baliwick, increased its trust for Duterte (plus 3), but decreased its trust for Marcos (minus 4), as compared to the September ratings.

Still comparing with September ratings, Duterte lost trust among the poorest Filipinos or “Class E” (minus 6), while Marcos lost trust among the upper to middle class or class ABC (minus 6).

– Rappler.com