Sara Duterte’s ratings decline reflects public dissatisfaction – Palace

Vice President Sara Duterte arrives at the Senate of the Philippines, Pasay City on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, ahead of the day’s scheduled impeachment trial proceedings. INQUIRER PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Monday said Vice President Sara Duterte’s declining trust and performance ratings in the latest Octa Research survey reflected public recognition of her lack of contribution to addressing the country’s pressing problems. For the Palace, it also indicated that Filipinos are now rejecting her side’s claim that the impeachment case against the vice president was merely propaganda by the administration. “The survey shows that the evidence presented in the impeachment trial is not just for propaganda but the truth,” Palace press officer Claire Castro said in a message to reporters. Article continues after this advertisement “Filipinos should clearly see who is genuinely working and who is doing nothing but attacking others,” she added. Castro also linked Duterte’s declining ratings to what she described as the vice president’s failure to help the government address pressing issues such as inflation and rising fuel prices due to the Middle East crisis. “All she does is criticize, but she has not offered any concrete solutions,” she said. READ: Marcos, Duterte ratings decline in Q2 2026 — survey Octa Research reported that Duterte’s trust rating fell by 8 percentage points, from 55 percent in March to 47 percent in July, while her performance rating declined from 50 percent to 45 percent. Article continues after this advertisement According to the survey, the vice president’s latest trust and performance ratings both fell below the majority level for the first time since November 2024 and reached their lowest levels since Octa began tracking the indicators in October 2022. The survey also found that Duterte’s decline was recorded across socioeconomic classes and most regions, although Mindanao remained a stronghold, with trust at 89 percent and satisfaction with her performance at 90 percent. Article continues after this advertisement READ: Sara Duterte Impeachment Trial: Everything you need to know In its analysis, Octa Research said the timing of the decline coincided with the opening of Duterte’s impeachment trial on July 6, which received extensive media coverage. The firm said the ongoing impeachment proceedings were the “most direct and best-supported explanation” for the vice president’s record-low ratings, while noting that perceptions about governance and corruption allegations may have also contributed. A third possible factor in Duterte’s weakest showing in the surveys may be “the apparent absence of a sufficiently visible social safety net to cushion the impact of inflation and rising petroleum prices on lower- and middle-income households,” Octa Research noted. Malacañang, however, did not comment on Marcos’ also lower-than-majority scores. His trust rating declined by 5 percentage points, from 54 percent in March to 49 percent in July, while satisfaction with his performance fell more sharply by 8 points, from 55 percent to 47 percent. Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again. Your subscription has been successful. The president’s steepest declines were recorded in Mindanao, where trust fell by 19 points and satisfaction dropped by 25 points. /mcm