SWS: Duterte begins presidency with ‘excellent’ trust rating

President Rodrigo Roa-Duterte. MALACAÑANG POOL PHOTO

President Rodrigo Duterte started his six-year term with an “excellent” trust rating, according to the poll conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS) last June.

According to the results of the June 24-27 Second Quarter 2016 Social Weather Survey, about 84 percent of those surveyed showed “much trust” in Duterte, 11 percent said they were undecided, and five percent had “little trust”. This yielded a 79 percent net trust rating.

The results of the poll were first published on BusinessWorld on Wednesday.

The SWS classifies net trust ratings of at least +70 as “excellent”; +50 to +69 as “very “good””; +30 to +49, “good”; +10 to +29, “moderate”; +9 to -9, “neutral”; -10 to -29, “poor”; -30 to -49, “bad”; -50 to -69, “very bad”; and -70 and below as “execrable”.

When the SWS first asked about Duterte’s trust rating in December 2015, the then presidential-candidate only got a “moderate” +16. It rose to “moderate: +26 in March 2016, a “good” +30 in April and a “moderate” +26 in May.

Duterte’s predecessor, former President Benigno Aquino III, was rated “excellent” at +83 when the poll was conducted after the May 2010 elections.

READ: Baseline trust ratings of Duterte and Robredo

The 53-point surge in Duterte’s net trust rating was due to increases across geographical areas and social classes.

Duterte posted “excellent” ratings in all areas: Balance Luzon (+75 from +9 in May), Metro Manila (+78 from in May), Visayas (+74 from +17 in May) and in Mindanao (+90 from +60 in May).

He also got “excellent ratings in all social classes: Class ABC (+82 from +35 in May), Class D (+79 from +23 in May) and Class E (+79 from +35 in May).

Meanwhile, among those surveyed based on educational attainment, Duterte’s rating given by non-elementary graduates rose to an “excellent” +76 from a “moderate” +18.

Those with some high school education rose to an “excellent” +74 from a “moderate” +16. Among those with some college education gave Duterte an “excellent” +81 from a “moderate” +28 while the President’s trust rating among those who have graduated from college increased to an “excellent” +87 from a “good” +44.

Duterte also received an “excellent” rating in all age groups: +88 from 18- to 34-year-olds, +84 from those from 25- to 34-year-olds, +78 among 35- to 44-year-olds, +78 among 45- to 54-year-olds, and +70 among those aged at least 55-years-old.

The survey was conducted using face-to-face interviews among 1,200 adult respondents nationwide. The survey had sampling error margins of ±3 points for national percentages, and ±6% each for Metro Manila, Luzon areas outside the nation’s capital, the Visayas, and Mindanao. CDG

READ: SWS pre-May 9 poll: Duterte has 26% trust rating, Robredo 45%