Marcos, Duterte post lower trust, performance ratings in Q2 OCTA poll

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio both posted lower trust and performance ratings in the second quarter, with support for both leaders slipping below the majority level, according to an OCTA Research survey released on Monday. “Compared with March 2026, both leaders posted significant declines in trust and performance,” OCTA Research said in its report. Mr. Marcos posted the bigger performance decline, while Ms. Duterte recorded the larger trust decline. The survey showed Mr. Marcos’ trust rating fell to 49% from 54% in March, while his performance rating declined to 47% from 55%. About 32% of respondents said they distrusted the President, while 33% expressed dissatisfaction with his performance. Nineteen percent were undecided on his trust rating and 20% were undecided on his performance. Mr. Marcos retained majority trust and performance ratings only in the rest of Luzon, where trust reached 63% and satisfaction with his performance stood at 60%. His trust ratings were 46% in the National Capital Region (NCR), 43% in the Visayas and 26% in Mindanao. His performance ratings were 43% in NCR, 45% in the Visayas and 26% in Mindanao. OCTA said the President’s steepest declines were recorded in Mindanao, where trust fell by 19 percentage points and satisfaction with his performance dropped by 25 points compared with the previous quarter. Across socioeconomic classes, Mr. Marcos’ ratings declined most among Class D respondents, with performance falling by 11 percentage points and trust declining by 8 points. Class E respondents, however, registered improvements, with his performance rating rising to 52% and trust climbing to 55%. OCTA said targeted social assistance programs for lower-income households may have helped cushion the poorest respondents from inflationary pressures that continued to weigh on middle-income families. Ms. Duterte likewise posted weaker ratings in the latest survey. Her trust rating dropped to 47% from 55% in March, while her performance score slipped to 45% from 50%. About 33% of respondents said they distrusted the Vice-President, 36% were dissatisfied with her performance, and roughly one-fifth remained undecided. “Her July 2026 trust rating of 47% and performance rating of 45% are the lowest national ratings recorded for her in the available series beginning in October 2022,” OCTA said. Regionally, Ms. Duterte remained strongest in Mindanao, where her trust and performance ratings reached 89% and 90%, respectively. She also posted majority ratings in the Visayas, where trust stood at 58% and performance at 55%. Her weakest ratings came from NCR and the rest of Luzon. Trust fell to 28% in Metro Manila and 27% for the rest of Luzon, while performance satisfaction dropped to 22% and 25%, respectively. Dissatisfaction with the Vice-President’s performance reached 61% in NCR, indicating that a majority of Metro Manila respondents were dissatisfied with her work. The polling firm said the survey coincided with several major political and economic developments, including the opening of Ms. Duterte’s impeachment trial on July 6, higher fuel and electricity prices, the release of the June inflation report and widespread flooding caused by Super Typhoon Inday, internationally known as Bavi, and the southwest monsoon. Mr. Marcos delivered his fifth State of the Nation Address before a joint session of Congress on Monday, outlining his administration’s priorities for the remaining two years of his six-year term. Ms. Duterte, meanwhile, is on a private overseas trip and is expected to return before the Senate resumes proceedings in her impeachment trial. The survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adult Filipinos nationwide from July 4 to 11. It carries a margin of error of ±3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro said the results reflected public perception of government officials’ performance. “The surveys that are not propaganda and are not being used as evidence in a trial show the truth,” Ms. Castro said in a Viber group chat with reporters. “Filipinos should really see who is actually working and who is doing nothing but attacking others. Vice-President Sara’s declining ratings reflect the reality that she has not contributed to helping the government address inflation and rising oil prices. She does nothing but criticize, yet offers no solutions,” she added. The Office of the Vice-President did not immediately reply to a Viber message seeking comment. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking