Metro Manila, Philippines – More Filipinos approve and trust Vice President Sara Duterte than President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as 2025 comes to an end, an independent survey held before Christmas showed.
In a survey released by Pulse Asia on Tuesday, Dec. 30, Marcos secured a 32 percent trust score, while Duterte got 54 percent.
Both officials recorded a two percent point drop from their ratings in September 2025.
There was also a wide gap in their approval scores, with Marcos gaining 34 percent and Duterte with 56 percent – hardly unchanged from their September numbers.
Pulse Asia said the survey was held from December 12 to 15, after key developments on the ongoing flood control corruption investigation surfaced.
This included the passport cancellation of fugitive and former AKO Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, who earlier tagged Marcos in the supposed P100 billion insertion in the 2025 budget.
It also covered the surrender to authorities of public works contractor Sarah Discaya, the resignation of Independent Commission for Infrastructure commissioner Rogelio Singson, and the second Trillion Peso March, among others.
The polling firm also noted key developments in the Duterte family before the survey was conducted.
One of which was the ruling of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to junk the request of former President Rodrigo Duterte for an interim release from his detention at the Hague, Netherlands for crimes against humanity.
Last week, a commissioned Social Weather Stations survey showed Marcos recording negative trust ratings in November 2025, while Duterte had 31 percent.
Urgent national concerns
Meanwhile, the Pulse Asia survey also showed national concerns that Filipinos want to be urgently addressed.
The top two concerns are controlling inflation with 59 percent and fighting graft and corruption in government with 48 percent.
Other prevailing concerns were higher wages, poverty reduction, and job creation.
At least 1,200 respondents participated in the survey, with a 2.8 percent margin of error.
