SUPPORT for the Philippines’ top two officials fell below majority level in the second quarter of 2026, as President Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte both saw notable drops in their trust and performance ratings, the latest Octa Research Tugon ng Masa survey released on Monday indicates.
The nationwide survey, conducted from July 4 to 11 among 1,200 adult Filipinos through face-to-face interviews, revealed that Marcos’ trust rating slipped 5 percentage points to 49 percent from 54 percent in March, while satisfaction with his performance fell more sharply by 8 percentage points to 47 percent from 55 percent. Both declines exceeded the survey’s margin of error, making them statistically significant.
Vice President Duterte, who is currently undergoing an impeachment trial on four core charges namely misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery, and making grave threats against top government officials, also registered notable declines, with her trust rating dropping 8 percentage points to 47 percent from 55 percent, while her performance rating fell five points to 45 percent from 50 percent.
Octa said the latest results mark the first time since November 2024 that both of Duterte’s trust and performance ratings simultaneously fell below the majority threshold. The pollster said these are likewise the lowest national ratings recorded for the Vice President since it began tracking the figures.
‘The results point to convergence in the national standing of the country’s top two officials. Neither obtained majority trust or performance ratings, and their respective scores are now within a few percentage points of each other,’ Octa said.
The survey showed differing regional trends behind the declines.
For Marcos, the precipitous losses came from Mindanao, where trust dropped by 19 percentage points while satisfaction with his performance plunged by 25 points. In contrast, Balance Luzon posted modest gains, allowing the President to retain majority trust and performance ratings only in that area.
Duterte, meanwhile, experienced her sharpest declines in the National Capital Region and Balance Luzon. Despite the nationwide drop, she continued to enjoy overwhelming support in Mindanao, where trust remained at 89 percent and satisfaction with her performance climbed to 90 percent.
On the national level, 32 percent of respondents said they distrusted Marcos, while 33 percent expressed dissatisfaction with his performance. For Duterte, 33 percent reported distrust and 36percent were dissatisfied with her performance.
Octa said the survey was conducted during a period marked by several major political, economic and environmental developments, including the opening of the Senate impeachment trial of Duterte, the arrest of Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, rising fuel and electricity prices, the release of the June inflation report, and widespread flooding caused by Typhoon Inday and the enhanced southwest monsoon.
Nevertheless, the research firm stressed that the survey cannot determine whether any particular event caused the observed shifts in public opinion because respondents were not asked why they rated government officials the way they did.
‘The findings should be interpreted as a snapshot of public opinion during the survey period and not as evidence that any particular event caused the observed movements,’ Octa said.
The latest Tugon ng Masa survey has a ±3 percentage-point margin of error at the 95percent confidence level, while subnational estimates for NCR, Balance Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao each carry a ±6 percentage-point margin of error.