A recent survey shows that those who trust President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. primarily believe he is actively fighting corruption, although more distrust him for various reasons, such as his perceived failure in tackling corruption and controlling the prices of commodities.
On the other hand, Vice President Sara Duterte enjoys a high trust rating for her capabilities in governance, being pro-poor, and upholding strong convictions, among other reasons. The leading reason for distrust among Filipinos, however, is her alleged involvement in corruption activities.
In face-to-face interviews conducted by Pulse Asia from February 27 to March 2, 2026, 28.6 percent said they trusted Marcos because of his efforts to address corruption.
In Luzon, this positive opinion is shared by 37.1 Metro Manilans and 29.4 percent of individuals residing in the rest of Luzon. For those in Visayas, 23.7 percent to 26.3 percent agree, and 30.2 percent to 31.6 percent have felt improvements in their lives as a result of his implemented programs. Among Mindanawons, 25.7 percent also cited improvements in quality of life that they attribute to Marcos’ programs, 18.3 percent recalled the administration’s responses to calamities, while another 18.3 percent recognized his efforts in distributing financial aid to those in need.
Many who are undecided whether they trust the President or not said he has been unable to control the rising prices of basic goods (39.3%).
Residents of Metro Manila ascribed their indecision to his failure to hold those allegedly involved in the flood control scandal accountable (23.2%), the rise in prices of basic commodities (19.5%), and his alleged use of illegal drugs (14.0%), among other reasons.
Those living in Visayas and uncertain as to the trustworthiness of the President mainly attributed this to his inability to lower the cost of commodities (17.9%), arrest suspects in the flood control scandal (17.9%), and curb illegal drug use, its distribution, and drug-related crimes (11%).
Many Filipinos, 44 percent of them, said they do not trust Marcos, most of them explaining that he has fallen short in combating corruption (16.7%), fulfilling his promises (15.3%), and performing his duties as head of state (13.8%).
A majority of Filipino adults, 54 percent, said they trust Vice President Duterte for various reasons: 12.8 percent believed in her capability to govern, 12.7 percent explained she was “pro-poor,” 12.4 percent said she was courageous, and 9.1 percent cited her helpfulness.
For those in Metro Manila, 26.4 percent see her as a capable leader. Meanwhile, in the rest of Luzon, 18.7 percent viewed her as pro-poor, 13.6 percent cited her swift response to disasters, 10.2 to 14.2 percent recognized her efforts to fight the illegal drug problem and corruption, 7.9 percent said she was helpful, and 7.2 percent believed she was a capable leader.
As for Visayans, most with a favorable opinion of the vice president said she was courageous (18.6%), pro-poor (17.9%), is a capable leader (12.5%), admired her strong convictions (12.2%), and cited her prompt responses to disasters (10.7%). Among Mindanawons, 13.9 percent find her courageous, 13.9 percent find her helpful, and 12.7 percent see her as a capable leader, among other things.
At the national level, 42.2 percent to 81.7 percent were not certain as to whether Duterte was trustworthy, as she has yet to properly address the allegations regarding her misuse of confidential funds allocated to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and Department of Education (DepEd).
This is the same reason 51.5 percent of Filipinos have expressed distrust in Duterte in the Philippines as a whole, and 21.4 percent explained they do not trust her because of the threats she made against the President and political opponents.
